For two decades the DTM had been defined by its Class 1 regulations, which produced purpose-built silhouette cars sharing only cosmetic resemblance to road-going models. The technical arms race was expensive; Audi's abrupt exit after 2020 left only BMW with an eligible Class 1 car, making continuation of the format impossible. The ITR, the DTM's parent organisation, announced the switch to GT3 from 2021, a decision that dramatically lowered costs and opened the grid to a far wider range of manufacturers and independent teams.
GT3 is a globally standardised class governed by SRO Motorsports Group that allows cars from many manufacturers to compete together through a Balance of Performance (BoP) system. Each manufacturer's car receives adjustments to weight, engine power, ride height, and aerodynamics calculated to produce equivalent theoretical lap times across the diverse field. Unlike the prototype era, GT3 cars are available for purchase by private teams, with prices typically ranging from €500,000 to €850,000 per car.
The DTM's specific GT3 configuration is widely regarded as the most performance-permissive of any major GT3 series: cars run with less ballast and higher power than their counterparts in series such as the GT World Challenge Europe or IMSA. Pirelli replaced Michelin (which supplied tyres in 2021) as the exclusive tyre partner from 2023. The championship retains standing starts and uses an 18-inch Pirelli DHG slick compound for dry conditions.
A "Success Ballast" system unique to the DTM mandates that cars finishing in the top three of any race must carry additional ballast at the following event. If those cars do not again finish in the top three, the ballast is removed. The mechanism promotes closer competition across the field.
The GT3 era has produced a broad and changing manufacturer lineup. Mercedes-AMG, which had left the prototype-era DTM after 2018, returned immediately in 2021 with customer teams running the AMG GT3 EVO. BMW, Porsche, Audi, and Ferrari have also been consistent presences. McLaren and Lamborghini entered in 2024 with the 720S GT3 EVO and Huracan GT3 EVO2 respectively. In 2025, Aston Martin returned via customer outfit Comtoyou Racing with the Vantage GT3 EVO, and Ford joined through HRT, which switched from the Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO to the Ford Mustang GT3.
The GT3 era retained the double-header weekend format from the later prototype years, with a race on both Saturday and Sunday. Each race runs to a 55-minute plus one complete lap distance. Pit stop regulations were adjusted as of 2025: the Saturday race requires one mandatory stop within a specified pit window, while the Sunday race requires two mandatory stops across two designated pit windows. The rolling start format introduced with the GT3 transition replaced the standing starts previously used in the prototype era.
The ITR, founded by manufacturers to govern the original DTM concept, was dissolved in December 2022 after the transition had already stripped much of its relevance. ADAC, the German automobile club that had long co-promoted the series, acquired the championship name and trademarks and became the sole organising body from 2023. The change represents a significant philosophical shift: the DTM is no longer a manufacturers' showcase driven by factory development, but a promoter-run championship operating with GT3 homologated machinery available to any sufficiently funded privateer team.
The switch to GT3 allowed the DTM brand to survive a structural crisis that would otherwise have ended the series. By adopting an internationally recognised technical specification, it connected itself to a global ecosystem of cars, teams, and drivers rather than depending on the commitment of major manufacturers willing to fund silhouette prototype programmes. The GT3 era DTM competes in the same regulatory space as the GT World Challenge Europe and a range of national GT3 championships, differentiating itself through its German calendar, its specific BoP configuration, and historical brand recognition built over more than two decades of high-profile racing.