The DTM's predecessor series, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft and its successor the International Touring Car Championship, collapsed after 1996 principally because a large share of revenue flowed to the FIA, leaving teams with meagre returns on their escalating investment. Negotiations among potential manufacturers dragged on from 1997, with each pushing divergent priorities: Opel favoured cost control, Mercedes-Benz wanted expensive development competition, BMW sought an international focus, and Audi wanted to run its quattro four-wheel drive system. By 2000, Mercedes and Opel had reached agreement, and the series returned under the new name Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters — the DMSB declined to grant Championship status because too many rounds had been planned outside Germany, and the abbreviation DTM was repurposed accordingly. Unlike the original series, which used four-door saloons, the revived DTM featured only two-door coupés.
The new DTM opened at the Hockenheimring in May 2000. Mercedes-Benz won the first race and the inaugural series title. Motorsport operation Abt Sportsline was admitted at short notice using the Audi TT, even though its dimensions did not strictly conform to the regulations; various dispensations were granted over successive seasons. Manuel Reuter finished second in the championship in 2000 for Opel, but no Opel driver would reach the top three again in the years that followed. The 2002 championship was taken by Laurent Aïello driving the Abt-Audi TT-R — the sole title for that variant of car. That same year the series mandated the HANS device to improve driver safety. In 2003, Opel achieved a broader motorsport milestone by winning the Nürburgring 24 Hours against factory Audi and BMW efforts.
Audi joined the DTM as a full factory entrant in 2004, and all three manufacturers switched to D-segment compact executive-based saloon bodies — the Audi A4, Opel Vectra GTS, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class — with identical wheelbase dimensions to ensure parity. Mattias Ekström won the championship for Audi that year. Opel's departure was announced in 2004, effective after the 2005 season, as part of General Motors' European cost-cutting programme. Plans by MG Rover to fill the vacancy were cancelled when that company collapsed in April 2005. From 2006, only Audi and Mercedes contested the series, each fielding ten cars; a television agreement with ARD nominally required three manufacturers, but the DTM pressed on regardless.
Audi dominated the 2007–2009 period. Ekström added a second title in 2007, and Timo Scheider won back-to-back championships in 2008 and 2009. Mercedes closed the gap in 2010 when Paul di Resta won the drivers' title. BMW returned to the DTM in 2012 after a twenty-year absence and immediately swept the drivers', teams', and manufacturers' championships. The 2012 season also re-established a three-constructor grid for the first time since 2005. Audi switched from the A4 to the A5 in 2012 and to the RS5 in 2013. A Drag Reduction System, functionally identical to Formula 1's DRS, was introduced in 2013 to improve overtaking.
In 2014, bodywork and aerodynamic packages were revised across all cars, and double-header race weekends returned in 2015 with timed races replacing lap-count formats. Turbocharged engines, absent since 1989, were reintroduced in 2019 as the series adopted 2.0-litre four-cylinder units producing up to 610 hp with a push-to-pass system; the pre-2019 cars had used 4.0-litre V8s producing approximately 460 hp in their early specification. Mercedes-Benz announced its withdrawal from the series after the 2018 season as it redirected resources toward Formula E. R-Motorsport joined for 2019 with Aston Martin-branded cars but withdrew after one uncompetitive season. The 2019 finale brought a unique cultural exchange when guest entries from Super GT's GT500 category — Honda, Lexus, and Nissan — appeared at the season closer, a prelude to the non-championship Super GT x DTM Dream Race at Fuji Speedway in Japan. Audi's sudden withdrawal in 2020 left BMW as the only manufacturer eligible under the Class 1 regulations, precipitating a shift in direction.
From 2021 the DTM adopted GT3-specification cars — termed GT Plus by the organisers — abandoning the silhouette prototype format entirely. The ITR, the series' parent body, was dissolved in December 2022; ADAC acquired the championship name and has operated the series since 2023 with different structure and regulations. The GT3 framework attracted a wider manufacturer roster, with BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, McLaren, Lamborghini, Ford, and Aston Martin all represented by customer teams at various points. Standing starts gave way to rolling starts, Michelin served as tyre partner in 2021 before Pirelli took over as exclusive supplier from 2023, and the series introduced a Success Ballast system under which drivers finishing in the top three carry additional weight to the next race.
The DTM has drawn established Formula 1 names — David Coulthard, Mika Häkkinen, Jean Alesi, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Ralf Schumacher, and Robert Kubica among them — alongside career touring car and sportscar specialists such as Bernd Schneider, Tom Kristensen, Frank Biela, and Alain Menu. The series has also served as a platform for young talent: Christijan Albers used podium finishes in 2003 and 2004 to earn an F1 seat; Paul di Resta moved to Force India after winning the 2010 title; and Pascal Wehrlein, champion in 2015, went on to race for Sauber in Formula 1 and serve as a Mercedes test driver. Six women have competed in the championship, including Vanina Ickx, Susie Stoddart, Katherine Legge, Rahel Frey, Sophia Flörsch, and Esmee Hawkey.
During the silhouette prototype era, all DTM cars used a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a roll cage space frame chassis clothed in carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer crash elements and metal bodywork. The series mandated common suppliers for key components including Hewland transmissions, AP Racing brakes, ATS wheels, and a single tyre supplier. Aerodynamics were equalised across manufacturers after wind tunnel testing. The HYLO aerodynamic safety system, developed by Audi Sport, was fitted to all 2020-specification cars to prevent lift-off during sideways crashes — it saw only that single season, as the subsequent GT3 transition made it redundant.
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