KW Studios has revealed that it’s bringing the 2002 DTM grid to RaceRoom, including cars from Abt-Audi, AMG-Mercedes and Opel.
KW Studios has announced that more historic DTM content is coming to its free-to-play simulator, RaceRoom Racing Experience.
To complement the game’s incumbent 1992 and 1995 DTM grids, KW has revealed that players will be able to reenact the championship’s incredible 2002 season, thanks to the release of the Abt-Audi TT-R, Opel Astra V8 Coupé and AMG-Mercedes CLK-DTM cars.
The 2002 season saw standing starts introduced to modern DTM for the first time, with the grid comprising a combination of international touring car legends (Alain Menu, Mattias Ekström and Laurent Aiello), former Formula 1 stars (Karl Wendlinger, Jean Alesi and JJ Lehto) and home-grown heroes (Bernd Schneider, Joachim Winkelhock and Manuel Reuter).
The championship would see Aiello and his Abt Sportsline team take on and beat the factory efforts from AMG-Mercedes and Opel, with Schneider and Ekström proving to be his closest challengers.
All three cars were powered by naturally-aspirated V8 engines and used the Class 1 regulations that would shape the series until they were replaced by GT3 in 2021.
Abt-Audi TT-R
Although Abt received no official support from Audi, its privately built and developed Audi TT-R impressively powered Aiello to the Drivers’ championship in 2002, with stablemate Ekström finishing third.
In total, the TT-R would take 11 wins but simply didn’t have the numbers to wrest the Teams’ championship away from Mercedes (Abt’s TT-R was outnumbered 10-to-five by the CLK).
This even led to some contrived shenanigans at the A1 Ring, where Mercedes drivers attempted to hold up the Audis to boost Schenider’s title charge, in what is thought to be one of the series’ best races.
Thankfully, however, Aiello prevailed, later paving the way for Audi to enter the DTM as a full-blown manufacturer outfit in 2004.
AMG-Mercedes CLK-DTM
Although RaceRoom already has the 2003 AMG-Mercedes CLK, it was released way back in 2018, so it’s reasonable to expect that the 2002 car will take advantage of the sim’s most recent graphics updates, as well as the inevitable progress in modelling tech.
The 2002 car also has a slightly different look to its successor, featuring as it does different aerodynamic parts, distinct liveries and a larger fuel tank, thanks to the absence of mid-race refuelling.
Schneider would only take two wins in 2002, but claimed an astonishing 14 podiums in just 20 races, showing the car’s undoubted potential. This was capably demonstrated in 2003, when the Affalterbach marques took nine wins out of 10 races and another Teams’ title.
Opel Astra V8 Coupé
The Astra was generically based on the Bertone-designed Opel Astra Coupé road car, but it still feels a little incongruous compared to the sportier TT and CLK derivatives raced by Audi and AMG-Mercedes, respectively.
The Opel was sadly off the pace in 2002, failing to take a single victory, despite the driving talents of double BTCC champion Menu and former STW champion Smokin’ Jo Winklehock.
Although the car performed well in the hands of Manuel Reuter in 2000, it failed to win for the rest of its DTM tenure, proving to lack the incisive pace of its Teutonic rivals (although it did claim four podiums in 2002).
A release date and pricing info have yet to be revealed.
Which of RaceRoom’s 2002 DTM cars are you most looking forward to driving? Let us know in the comments below.