BMW unveils DTM concept car and drivers

BMW continues to gear up for its 2012 assault on the DTM, unveiling a ‘concept car’ and its driver line-up.

According to BMW, the car offers an ‘initial impression’ of what the 2012 race car will look like.

As expected, current BMW Intercontinental Le Mans Cup pilots Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus have been confirmed as being part of the German marque’s DTM comeback.

Three teams – RBM, Schnitzer and Team RMG – will run the 2012 M3 DTM against the current Audi and Mercedes competition.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt says that the project is progressing well.

“Getting a new racing programme up and running is a bit like doing a jigsaw,” said Marquardt.

“New pieces are added almost every day, and we must put them together to create the big picture.

“The BMW M3 DTM Concept Car is an important milestone on our route to the start of the 2012 season. The roll-out of the car was successful, and we are now starting our test programme out on the track.

“Drivers Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus are also involved and will form part of our driving line-up in 2012. Their impressive performances in touring car and GT racing make them ideally suited to the DTM, and we are sure they will leave their mark on this series too.

“It is obviously just as important to have strong partners on board, and we were able to present some of them today. The pieces are fitting together perfectly, so we can definitely say: our preparations for the 2012 season are going according to plan.”

Priaulx and Farfus will get an extra dose of rear-wheel-drive V8 racing experience prior to their DTM debuts when they compete in the Armor All Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercars race this October.

The duo will drive for TeamVodafone and Fujitsu Racing/GRM respectively.