Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg helped Mercedes-Benz take the wraps off their new competitor for the German DTM touring car series, based on the Mercedes-Benz C-Coupe.

Mercedes claims that the C-Class is DTM’s most successful entry, with 84 victories in 156 races and five driver’s titles. DTM is thought to be one of the premiere sports car series in the world, with drivers regularly moving on to Le Mans or prestigious open wheel racing series after their stints.

Gallery: DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupe

We are already highly anticipating Michael Schumacher’s unveiling of the DTM AMG C Coupe at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show but now Mercedes has teased us with a video of the new car. Mercedes DTM driver Gary Paffett gives us some comments about the new machine in the video, building even more suspense to see how Mercedes will compete against BMW‘s DTM racer and Audi‘s A5.

The official unveiling will take place on September 13th, 2011 with Michael Schumacher, Nico Rosberg, Gary Paffett, Mercedes-Benz Motorsports chief Norbert Haug and Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche taking center stage. The 2012 DTM season is shaping up to be one of the best, and we’re highly anticipating news of a race series to bring the DTM machines over to America.

Check out the video after the break.

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There’s no better way to get a rise out of the jaded automotive media and ensure a spot on the local network newscast than to have a genuine professional racing star introduce your new car at an auto show. And that’s just what Mercedes intends to do at the Frankfurt Auto Show next week, with the new DTM race car being revealed by none-other than 7-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher. Oh, and teammate Nico Rosber (who’s actually out-performing old-man Schumie this year) will be there too.

Based on the new C-Class Coupe, the car will continue to be an excellent branding exercise for Mercedes-Benz, while sharing nothing but its roof with the production car.

“The IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung), the world’s most important show for the automotive industry, is the perfect setting for the première of our new 2012 DTM car,” said Schumacher.

“This new-generation vehicle, based on our Mercedes-Benz C- Coupé, will mark the introduction of an even more spectacular racing car from the start of 2012,” said Norbert Haug, the head of Merc’s motorsports division. “I am certain that the spectators will get their money’s worth from the three-way fight between Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the DTM next year.”

To see all the photos of the car, visit AutoGuide’s Frankfurt Auto Show coverage page starting September 13th.

BMW has unveiled the M3 DTM, a high performance race car that will compete in the 2012 DTM (German Touring Car) series. The M3 debuted at BMW Welt in Munich, and is a very exciting event after a two decade absence of BMW at DTM. Between 1987 and 1992, the M3 won 40 race and had over 150 podium finishes in Germany’s premier tin-top series.

This race car features a carbonfibre-reinforced plastic monocoque (CFRP) with a steel roll cage, a six-speed sequential gearbox, and a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8. The M3 produces 480-hp and is capable of achieving a 0-62 mph time in three seconds with a top speed of 186 mph.

Three teams will race M3s in next year’s DTM series including BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG. “It is good to see how our DTM project is picking up speed,” explained BMW’s director of development Dr Klaus Draeger. “Next yea, BMW returns to the DTM after two decades. We will be facing our main competitors in the premium sector – and are already looking forward to this challenge.”

Check out the videos after the jump!

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BMW has already made the 2012 DTM season interesting, and now Audi is joining in on the fun by releasing several renderings of its upcoming A5 DTM race car. The two-door coupe will be the successor to Audi’s highly successful A4 DTM racer and will utilize the upcoming 2012 A5 refresh as its foundation.

Similar to all of the 2012 DTM race cars that will be campaigning the season, Audi’s A5 will feature a high-strength, carbon fiber monocoque combined with a steel tube cage. Audi is also putting a lot of focus into the safety of their vehicle, clearly knowing that accidents do happen in racing.

The first prototype of the Audi A5 DTM – internally named R17 – is currently being built at Audi Sport Ingolstadt with its debut just around the corner at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September. It will be powered by a V8 engine with around 460-hp, adopted from their successful A4 race program.

GALLERY: Audi A5 DTM Concept Renders

BMW has taken the cover off its jaw-dropping M3 DTM Concept Car, giving us a taste of what will hit the track in the upcoming 2012 DTM season. Even though the German automaker has announced that the looks of the car will most likely change considerably leading up to its first race, we hope they retain the general idea: an amazing badass race car.

BMW’s return to the DTM racing season will be with a CFRP monococque chassis with steel roll cage, a 6-speed sequential gearbox mated to a V8 engine with approximately 480-bhp.

Between 1987-1992, BMW’s M3 had over 150 podium finishes in the series and had no less than 40 wins. Confirmed drivers for BMW’s 2012 DTM season include Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus, both of which have impressive resumes in touring car and GT racing.

Three teams will be driving on BMW’s behalf next season: BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG. All three teams are working with BMW to fine-tune the M3 DTM race car along with their partners and sponsors which include Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Deutsche Post AG, Castrol Edge, H&R, SONAX, ZF Sachs and Sympatex.

The M3 DTM Concept Car is currently on display at BMW Welt as part of the DTM event in the Olympic Stadium.

GALLERY: BMW M3 DTM Concept Car

BMW will unveil its M3 DTM car next month to compete in next year’s DTM touring car race series. The Bavarian automaker has not competed in the series for 18 years but feels its car will pack a serious punch.

BMW has recently been with the DTM umbrella organization ITR e. V. and other manufacturers including Audi and Mercedes-Benz on issues regarding technical regulations, and taking DTM to a global audience.

BMW has been working on the M3 DTM since it announced a comeback in the series last October and has been a success so far. The car is expected to be tested in the next few months.

[Source: Motor Authority]

The Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG has become DTM’s official safety car for the 2011 season and will debut May 1st at the opening race of the German Touring Car Masters season. The C 63 AMG will be slightly modified from its factory counterparts in order to meet the demands of being a DTM safety car and will give driver Jurgen Kastenholz a little more fun behind the wheel.

The DTM C 63 AMG is powered by a 6.3L V8 AMG-tuned powerplant that pushes out 487-hp, 30-hp more than the standard C 63 AMG thanks to AMG’s additional Performance Package that is available to the public. AMG also outfits the C 63 with a plethora of technology from the SLS AMG including short block components. Distinguishing features include a variable intake manifold in titanium grey and AMG’s high performance braking system.

Mated to the powerplant is AMG’s Speedshift MCT 7-speed sports transmission. Adjustable coilovers gives the C 63 AMG all the handling capabilities it needs while a set of lightweight AMG wheels in 19-inch sizing keeps it nice and sticky on the track.

And to make sure you’re aware of which vehicle is the DTM safety car, the C 63 AMG features DTM Safety Car logos, an LED light bar on the roof and LED flashing lights in the front and the rear. The interior of the car is equipped with a radio system and TV monitor while AMG sports bucket seats with four-point harnesses provides plenty of support for driver and passenger.

Official press release available after the break.

GALLERY: C63 AMG DTM Safety Car

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After days of back-and-forth rumors concerning the arrival of DTM touring car racing in the United States, the series debut in the United States has been confirmed for 2013, in partnership with NASCAR and GRAND-AM sports car racing.

The announcement comes as BMW also stated that they plan to return to DTM in 2012, giving them a year to prepare for the North American stage. While some feared that the arrival of DTM would steal the spotlight away from GRAND-AM, a well-regarded series that has suffered from a traditional lack of interest in road racing, some team owners, including Chip Ganassi, expressed hope that it would bring in more manufacturer support to GRAND-AM.

Others have suggested that DTM would give NASCAR a way to bring their Sprint Cup series to Europe, where oval track stock car racing is not as firmly established.

[Source: Speed TV]

The German DTM Touring Car series is looking to make a foray into North America sometime around 2013, with a possible partnership involving NASCAR and Grand-Am.

In an interview with Autosport, the head of DTM’s promotion arm, Hans Werner Aufrecht said “In America, we are working with the NASCAR organisation. Beginning in 2013, we hope to have a championship with 12 races in the United States. They will be six with Grand-Am and six with NASCAR events, for a standalone championship in America. I believe this is very, very good for the future of motorsport in the United States.”

The timing of the races will coincide with the new generation of DTM cars, which will see technical regulations between DTM and the Japanese SuperGT series become standardized.

[Source: Autosport]