Audi A4 R9 DTM

In 2003, the motorsport involvement of Audi was concentrated on supporting customer and importer teams. The Audi marque returned to the race tracks with works teams: With a total of six newly developed touring cars based on the Audi A4, two Audi works teams will contest the DTM (German Touring Car Masters).

Audi continues its successful tradition in touring car racing with its DTM comeback. Audi won, from the word go in 1990 and 1991, the DTM championship title twice in succession with the V8 quattro. Between 1995 and 1999 the Audi A4 quattro was the world's most successful Super Touring Car. Since the year 2000, Team Abt Sportsline has competed in the 'new' DTM with coupés based on the Audi TT. The customer team secured the championship title in 2002.

The Audi A4 DTM with approximately 460 hp was developed by Audi Sport in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. Team Abt Sportsline receives the status of a works team, handling the cars of Christian Abt, shooting star Mattias Ekström, DTM new entry Tom Kristensen and former junior Martin Tomczyk. Strengthening the Audi DTM squad in a prominent way will be the team from Reinhold Joest. The team which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in succession in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 with the Audi R8, will run two A4 cars. Three-time Le Mans winners Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro will complete the high-caliber Audi driver line-up.

Audi managed to beat the all dominating Mercedes-Benz AMG Team and took all titles with the A4 DTM. Mattias Ekström took the driver's title and gave his season extra cachet by also winning two Group N rally class victories in the World Rally Championship on Swedish snow and Spanish tarmac.