After giving us an inkling of a DTM comeback in April of this year, BMW have finally made it official in Munich today.

It’s been a lengthy 16 years since BMW have entered a challenger for the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) crown and no doubt fans all over the world have been eagerly awaiting their return. Currently the championship is only contested by Mercedes with their C Class AMG DTM and Audi with the A4 DTM. Both employ an aspirated 4l V8 and use the same sequential 6 speed gearbox as stipulated by the rules. The cars’ are fitted with restrictors to peg the torque they produce at 500Nm to even the playing field. It gets interesting as there is no restriction on horsepower (only torque) and engine design plays a huge roll at gaining a competitive edge.

Traditionally, BMW have entered the M3 and we should see more of the same come 2012. The series has been dominated by Audi as of late, with them winning the Championship for the last three years running. We're sure the boys from Munich will have something to say about that in the 2012 season.

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