In 1998, Audi decided to build its first-ever V8 production car, which it simply called the Audi V8. Noting its potential as a touring car, the brand developed a Group A competition car to run in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, aka DTM.
The 3.6-liter engine was tuned to rev up to 11,500 and, initially, it churned out 414 hp (420 PS/309 kW) before being tuned up to 456 hp (462 PS/340 kW) by the end of its racing career. Despite still having wood paneling and leather door cards, the car was a roaring success with Hans-Joachim Stuck winning the drivers’ championship in 1990, its first year of competition.
For his latest video from the Audi museum, Ken Block was given the opportunity to drive the car, his first ever experience behind the wheel of a DTM racer and one he was eager to take.
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Part of a new series of videos with Audi, Block was finally given permission (or finally felt comfortable enough bending the rules a little) to really get on it and let the back end step out. “It’s very nice and responsive. I just like the way it revs, too,” says Block as he’s getting out of the car. “Alright, so I kind of need one of these.”
After his drive in the high-revving V8, Block is taken back to Audi’s Neuberg test track to drive something decidedly more recent, the all-electric, 804hp e-tron Vision GT, which he promptly spins.
“I didn’t know how hard to push it. I spun once but I think part of that was just the cold tires,” he says. “You know, I’ve driven the Extreme-E and Project E car, and the way that the weight balance is, it puts pressure on tires in completely different ways than I’m used to. So the roll center’s quite low. It makes for a really unique driving experience.”
Still, he concludes that it was not just fast, completing a lap of Audi’s test track 10 seconds faster than the RS e-tron GT, but it was fun, too.