According to our sister-magazine, BimmerToday, quoting German automotive outlets, BMW Motorsport will make an announcement on Friday regarding their return to the DTM (German Touring Car Masters) championship in 2012.

First news around a possible return to DTM appeared back in April when both Dr. Klaus Draeger, BMW AG board member responsible for development and Motorsport boss Mario Thiessen spoke on the subject:

Mario Theissen: “The newly aligned programme offers us many important stages, on which to demonstrate the sporting gene present in BMW vehicles. The planned return to the DTM is an exciting challenge for our team. Over the coming months we will be making all the necessary technical preparations that should allow us to be competitive right from the start should we join the series in 2012. Thanks to its great tradition in production car racing, the BMW M3 is predestined to be used as the basic car. In 2011 we will once again be lining up with our BMW M3 GT2, which is contesting its debut season in Europe this year.”

BMW E92 M3 DTM racecar rendering by Jon Sibal

Dr. Klaus Draeger: “Following the withdrawal from Formula One, the realignment of our motorsport programme is raising our presence in production car racing to a whole new level. BMW sports and touring cars have achieved success right around the world, and have significantly influenced the brand’s sporting profile right from the word go. For that reason, we see it as a consistent step to return to our roots after bidding farewell to Formula One, and to expand our commitment to this discipline.”

Reports say that the initial development of the V8 engine for DTM has been suspended and a different power unit will be used for the racing cars.

Stay tuned tomorrow!

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