2017.10.14

Two GT500 cars give Demo Run at DTM Final Round! Historic joint appearance with DTM cars also takes place

On October 14th (Sat.), Just before Race 1 of the final round of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) championship series held in Hockenheim, Germany, an historic first demonstration run was made by two GT500 class SUPER GT cars. The cars were a Lexus LC500 (No. 093 test car) and a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500 (No. 1 MOTUL AUTECH GT-R：2016 model); and joining them on the track were three DTM cars, making it the first joint Class One car appearance in history. (Photo courtesy of DTM)

 

 

It was a day blessed with fair weather at Hockenheim. In the morning, the practice session for the final round of the series was held. And then, at 1:40 in the afternoon (local time) it came time for the two GT500 cars to take to the track. As with the test session the day before, Heikki Kovalainen drove the Lexus LC500 and Ronnie Quintarelli was at the wheel of the Nissan GT-R.

 

 

 

 

 

Watching the LC500 and GT-R and the three DTM cars make their demo run were not only the DTM fans gathered at Hockenheim for the races that day but also Masaaki Bandoh, Chairman of GTA Co., Ltd and Gerhard Berger, Chairman of Internationalen Tourenwagen Rennen e.V. (ITR), promoters of the DTM championship.

As a result of repeated conferences between SUPER GT and DTM beginning from 2009, and agreement was reached on a unified regulation for the two championships called “Class One.” Although the chassis regulations for the GT500 and DTM were already unified, at present the engine specifications for the two series are different. While the GT500 class was first to adopt an engine specification of a 2000cc in-line 4-cylinder direct injection turbocharged engine, it is planned that DTM will adopt the same engine specification from 2019. And for this reason, the DTM people present had special interest in the performance of the GT500 cars.

 

 

During the Pit Walk event held before demo run as well, many DTM fans came to take a good look at the LC500 and GT-R GT500 machines.

Also, after the demo run and before the start of the DTM Race 1, Kovalainen and Quintarelli joined in the drivers’ parade with the DTM drivers. There they could be seen answering the cheers of support from many of the gathered fans.

 

 

SUPER GT SHOW RUN at the DTM Final Round at Hockenheim
DTM cars join SUPER GT cars at Hockenheimring - DTM Hockenheim Final 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qCNlrpZcIU

SUPER GT Test Session & Free Practice 1 at DTM Final Round at Hockenheim
DTM Hockenheim Final 2017 - SUPER GT Test Session & Free Practice 1 - RE-LIVE (German)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T_TMURf6ts

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