The championship was initially run with cars divided into classes by engine capacity, racing simultaneously. This format frequently produced overall champions who had no realistic chance of winning races outright — for example, Chris Hodgetts won two overall titles in the 1980s in a small Toyota Corolla while much larger cars dominated the actual race results at the front of the field. The class-based format continued until a significant restructuring introduced a single competitive class.
In 1990, the BTCC introduced a class for cars with engine displacement up to 2.0 litres, regulations that were later adopted by the FIA as the Super Touring formula used in various championships across Europe. From 1991, these cars became the only eligible machines. Six manufacturer-backed teams entered from the outset representing BMW, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, and Vauxhall.
The Super Touring era is widely regarded as the most successful period in BTCC history. Manufacturer investment produced extraordinarily close competition and rapid technical development, filling circuits with large spectator numbers. The period saw Alfa Romeo enter with the 155 fitted with aerodynamic aids — a development that caused controversy in 1994 when other teams protested — and Audi join in 1996 with a four-wheel drive A4 Quattro, taking that year's title. However, escalating costs eventually drove several manufacturers out, until by 2000 only Ford, Honda, and Vauxhall remained as factory entrants.
Among the champions of this era, Gabriele Tarquini won for Alfa Romeo, and the series produced intense wheel-to-wheel racing that regularly received prime-time television coverage on the BBC from 1988 to 2001.
To address spiralling costs, organisers introduced BTC Touring regulations for the 2001 season. While costs fell sharply, manufacturer and spectator interest declined. Super 2000 regulations were adopted from 2007, offering compatibility with the World Touring Car Championship's technical package. The 2000s era featured fewer factory-backed teams and fewer internationally prominent drivers than the Super Touring peak.
Vauxhall's dominance in drivers' and teams' championships from 2001 to 2004 ended when Team Dynamics and their Honda entry claimed back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006, with Matt Neal winning the overall championship in 2005 after completing all 30 championship races that year — an achievement no driver had previously achieved.
In 2009, the BTCC released details of its Next Generation Touring Car specification, introduced from 2011. The NGTC regulations were designed to dramatically reduce design, build, and running costs while ensuring performance parity between machines from different manufacturers. All cars share common components supplied through a contract with RML Group, and teams can either install an engine from their marque's product family or lease a unit from TOCA built by Swindon Engines.
Current NGTC cars are a mix of 2.0-litre saloons and hatchbacks from a variety of manufacturers, using identical suspension geometry and a single tyre supplier — currently Goodyear. The grid features a combination of manufacturer entries and independent teams, with independent outfits capable of winning the championship under the more accessible cost structure.
BTCC race weekends feature qualifying on Saturday followed by three races on Sunday. The grid for Race 2 is based on the finishing order of Race 1. For Race 3, a draw determines the reversal point in the finishing order from Race 2, meaning a driver who finishes between sixth and twelfth in Race 2 could potentially start from pole position in Race 3 depending on the draw result. This reversed-grid format has been a defining feature of BTCC racing for decades, generating unpredictable results and promoting exciting racing throughout the field.
Points are awarded to the top fifteen finishers in each race. A bonus point is available for each lap led, with no driver able to collect more than one Lead a Lap bonus per race regardless of how many laps they lead.
Five championships are awarded per season: the overall drivers' title, the Independents drivers' championship for non-manufacturer-backed competitors, the teams' championship, the manufacturers' championship, and the Independent Teams' championship. The Jack Sears Trophy, introduced in 2013, is currently awarded to the highest-placed rookie driver at the end of the season.
The BTCC visits eight circuits in England and Scotland across ten rounds per season. Current venues include Brands Hatch (in both Indy and Grand Prix layouts), Donington Park, Thruxton, Oulton Park, Croft, Snetterton, Knockhill, and Silverstone. Thruxton is the fastest circuit visited by the BTCC, with an average qualifying speed of 111.31 mph recorded by Andrew Jordan in 2014. Historically the series has also raced at circuits including Aintree, Crystal Palace, Goodwood, Mallory Park, Rockingham, and Mondello Park in Ireland, as well as a street circuit in Birmingham known as the Birmingham Superprix, which was held in 1989 and 1990.
BBC screened BTCC highlights from 1988 to 2001, with Murray Walker providing commentary. The championship moved to ITV from 2002, and races are currently broadcast live on ITV4 in the United Kingdom, with a highlights programme broadcast on Monday evenings. International livestreaming via the BTCC YouTube Channel began in 2025, reaching all countries outside the United Kingdom and North America.