Audi RS5 Turbo DTM

Audi carried over the RS5 DTM car to undergo a major development for the Class 1 project which will be used for the 2019 season and beyond and rebrand it as Audi RS5 Turbo DTM. The aerodynamic packages of the RS5 Turbo DTM also has significant change including front splitter length cut to 90 millimetres, radiator grill revamp, rear wing width increased to 520 millimetres and also DRS improvement to make cars aggressive for overtaking compared to the Audi RS5 DTM naturally-aspirated. The car made its first shakedown at Circuito do Estoril on 8 November 2018.

The design also features the newly-firewall interior cockpit protection to deflect debris away from a driver's head in the event of an accident.

The RS5 Turbo DTM features a brand-new RC8 2.0 TFSI engine package built specifically for the car that based on Japanese Super GT GT500 Class 1 regulations dubbed Nippon Race Engine (NRE). The aging Audi 4.0 litres (244 cubic inches) V8 naturally-aspirated engine—which had been used since the inaugural season of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters— was replaced by a 2.0 litres (122 cubic inches) inline-4 turbocharged direct-injected RC8 engine developed by Audi which was full custom-built but the cylinder blocks from RC8 engine borrowed from Volkswagen-Audi EA888 2.0 R4 16v TSI/TFSI. During the car's shakedown and preliminary testing phase at the Circuito do Estoril, drivers noted that the change from natural aspiration to a turbocharger meant that the RS5 Turbo DTM required a different driving style to its predecessor, the Audi RS5 DTM NA, as the turbocharger produced more torque and thus required the driver to exercise greater control over the throttle. The Audi RC8 TFSI I-4 turbo engine will also feature the push-to-pass for overtaking manoeuvre improvement.