This is how Audi's A5 DTMs will look at the season opener next month..

The grid will certainly be ‘colourful’ when the DTM season kicks off at the Hockenheimring on April 29th. We’ve now seen both Audi and BMW team liveries, and thankfully they’ve steered well away from the anodyne silver sported by their AMG Mercedes rivals.

In the build up to the season opener, Audi has brought their fully-liveried A5 DTMs to a test session at Valencia, sporting the colours of the three Audi Sport teams, Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg.

Whilst each team has supported development of the A5 DTM, which was homologated on March 1st, this is the ‘first time’ they’ve tested their ‘own’ customer cars.

Mattias Ekström, Mike Rockenfeller, Timo Scheider and Edoardo Mortar will drive the cars in Valencia, whilst Filipe Albuquerque, Rahel Frey, Miguel Molina and Adrien Tambay will take to the track in their cars two weeks later at Hockenheim.

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport said, “Without the support of our [sponsoring] partners it wouldn’t be possible to field a total of eight cars under a factory commitment in such a high-caliber racing series. In addition, they are adding color. I think that our designers in collaboration with our partners have managed to get very beautiful cars off the ground. I’m convinced that the fans will feel similarly..”

As a reminder, the Audi teams competing in this year’s 2012 DTM series are:

Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline
Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi A5 DTM)
Timo Scheider (AUTO TEST Audi A5 DTM)

Audi Sport Team Abt
Rahel Frey (E-POSTBRIEF Audi A5 DTM)
Adrien Tambay (Audi ultra A5 DTM)

Audi Sport Team Phoenix
Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi A5 DTM)
Miguel Molina (Red Bull Audi A5 DTM)

Audi Sport Team Rosberg
Edoardo Mortara (Playboy Audi A5 DTM)
Filipe Albuquerque (TV Movie Audi A5 DTM)

Meanwhile at BMW and Mercedes..

BMW DTM factory driver Andy Priaulx showed off his new M3 DTM car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Media Day last week, he later tweeted these pictures of his new ‘office’ along with the rather ominous message, “If you see this in your mirror…..move over!”

Mercedes-Benz confirmed that 29-year-old Susie Wolff (previously Stoddart) will drive the TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé in 2012, continuing with Team Persson Motorsport, who she has driven with since 2008. And Jaime Green will start his 8th DTM season with the marque and will try and add to his tally of 7 wins from 74 DTM race starts.