The original Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft and its successor the International Touring Car Championship collapsed after 1996, largely because a large proportion of championship revenue flowed to the FIA, leaving teams unable to justify rising costs. From 1997 onwards, manufacturers held talks to structure a new German touring car series. Opel prioritised cost control, Mercedes-Benz pushed for high-tech development, BMW wanted international reach, and Audi sought accommodation for its quattro all-wheel-drive concept. A compromise was eventually reached, and the new DTM launched in May 2000 at the Hockenheimring.
Unlike its predecessor, which had used four-door saloons, the revived series required two-door coupe bodies. Mercedes used the CLK as its basis, Opel fielded an Astra Coupe concept, and Abt Sportsline entered on short notice using the Audi TT — a car that did not technically conform to dimension rules but was granted dispensation. Because too many planned rounds were outside Germany, the DMSB refused to award Championship status, so the initials DTM were reinterpreted to mean Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters rather than Meisterschaft.
The early 2000s saw Mercedes and Opel as the primary protagonists, with Abt's Audi TT-R claiming the 2002 title through Laurent Aïello despite the car's aerodynamic limitations. Audi joined as a full factory entrant in 2004, the same year Mattias Ekström took his first drivers championship for the brand. Opel departed after the 2005 season due to cost pressures within General Motors' European operations, forcing Audi and Mercedes to field ten cars each in 2006 and prompting concerns over grid credibility.
The 2007 to 2009 seasons were dominated by Audi: Ekström won his second title in 2007, and Timo Scheider took back-to-back championships in 2008 and 2009. Mercedes eventually answered with Paul di Resta winning the 2010 title. BMW returned to the series in 2012 after a twenty-year absence, immediately sweeping the drivers, teams, and manufacturers titles, and the return of a three-manufacturer grid also revived the series' two-door coupe format after years of four-door saloons. From 2013, a Drag Reduction System similar to Formula One's was introduced to assist overtaking.
Mercedes announced its withdrawal from the series after the 2018 season, citing a move into Formula E. Aston Martin entered via the R-Motorsport customer team in 2019 but withdrew after a single uncompetitive campaign. Audi announced its own departure after 2020, citing costs and a strategic shift toward electric motorsport. With only BMW possessing an eligible Class 1 car, the series transitioned to GT3 regulations for 2021.
The DTM attracted numerous former and future Formula One names throughout its history. Bernd Schneider, Ralf Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Jean Alesi, David Coulthard, Pedro Lamy, and two-time Formula One world champion Mika Häkkinen all competed. The championship also functioned as a proving ground: Paul di Resta raced for Force India after winning the 2010 DTM title; Pascal Wehrlein won the 2015 championship and went on to race for the Sauber Formula One team; Christijan Albers used podium finishes in 2003 and 2004 to secure an F1 drive in 2005. Six female drivers competed in the championship across its history, including Vanina Ickx, Susie Stoddart (later Wolff), Katherine Legge, Rahel Frey, Sophia Flörsch, and Esmee Hawkey.
During the silhouette prototype era, DTM cars were rear-wheel-drive machines with closed cockpits and significant aerodynamic packages including a DRS system from 2013. Engines evolved from 4.0-litre V8s restricted to around 460 horsepower through to 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four units producing over 600 horsepower by 2019. The HYLO aerodynamic safety system was introduced in 2020 to prevent cars becoming airborne during crashes, a necessity created by the silhouette car's tendency to generate significant lift when sideways.
The 2021 GT3 transition opened the field to cars from BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, and later McLaren, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and Ford, with Pirelli supplying tyres from 2023. A Balance of Performance system, combined with a success ballast mechanism penalising top-three finishers, governs competition parity. The GT3-era cars produce around 500 horsepower, reach 100 km/h in approximately 2.8 seconds, and are priced between approximately 500,000 and 850,000 euros.
In 2012 the ITR and Japan's GT Association signed a cooperation agreement aligning DTM and Super GT GT500 technical regulations. Guest Super GT entries competed at the final 2019 DTM round, and a non-championship Super GT x DTM Dream Race was held at Fuji Speedway the same year. In 2013 NASCAR's road racing subsidiary IMSA announced an agreement to create a North American DTM series, though the project never materialised.
The ITR, which had administered the championship since its revival, was dissolved in December 2022, leaving ADAC to acquire the championship rights. The series continued under ADAC stewardship from 2023, representing a significant structural departure from its predecessor format. Despite the organisational changes, the DTM remains the premier German motorsport series and one of Europe's most recognisable touring car championships, with a consistent multi-manufacturer GT3 grid and a race format consisting of two races per weekend, each approximately 55 minutes plus a lap.