90s DTM Legends at WTC 700 Le Mans: Mercedes 190E Evo II vs BMW M3

90s DTM Legends at WTC 700 Le Mans: Mercedes 190E Evo II vs BMW M3

Here is a proper throwback battle for the WTC 700 Circuit de la Sarthe grind. These iconic 90s rivals were built to tackle Le Mans and they offer completely different driving experiences. Both cars are rocking the GT-Auto aero kits to bring the true DTM spirit back to these homologation road cars!

⛽ The General Le Mans Strategy

  • Tyres: Racing Softs (RS). They easily survive 2-3 laps on this track without falling off a cliff.
  • Fuel: Since the first and last two laps are dry, we run a 2-3-2 strategy. Use Fuel Map 1 (FM1) for the first 2 laps (you will need to do a tiny bit of short-shifting on the Merc). Then pit, equip RS or IM depending on the weather, switch to Fuel Map 4 (FM4) and you are good for 3 full laps. Switch back to FM1 and RS for the last two laps.

🔴⚪ The Muscle: Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II '91

View the full Mercedes interactive setup

Out of the box, the Mercedes-Benz 190 E is a bit heavy and underpowered for the 700 PP class, but thankfully we can bolt a turbo on it.

  • Engine: The Mid-RPM Turbocharger gives a great peak power of 450 BHP. Alternative: You can use the Low-RPM turbo to stretch the torque band a bit wider at the cost of sacrificing about 8 BHP.
  • Adjustments: You will need the Power Restrictor for both turbo options (set to 75% here). Adding exactly 52 kg of ballast at Position 50 forces a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
  • Pace: It is an absolute missile on the straights, comfortably hitting 300+ km/h down the Mulsanne straight.

⚫⚪ The Scalpel: BMW M3 Sport Evolution '89

View the full BMW interactive setup

If the Merc is a hammer, the BMW M3 is a scalpel. It is ridiculously light and nimble.

  • Engine & Body: A fully built N/A engine pushes 396 BHP while the car weighs in at only 983 kg.
  • Adjustments: It comes with a flawless 50:50 weight distribution from the factory. Zero ballast and zero power restrictor are needed. You get all the raw unrestricted power.
  • Pace: It tops out at around 290 km/h on the straights so the Merc will pull away, but the BMW carries so much more speed through the Porsche Curves and chicanes that it easily makes the time back.