What is DTM?
DTM, or Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, is a German touring car racing series known for close, aggressive wheel-to-wheel competition.
DTM stands for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, a German touring car racing series with roots going back to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft that ran from the mid-1980s before pausing in the mid-1990s. The series was revived in 2000 under the Masters name and has featured manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW fielding heavily modified touring car-based racers built to a common technical formula.
Cars competing in DTM are silhouette racers, meaning they share a general visual resemblance to road-going models but use purpose-built racing chassis, aerodynamics, and powertrains underneath rather than production-based mechanicals. This format allows for close performance parity between manufacturers while still promoting brand identity through bodywork styled after each maker's road cars.
DTM has gone through several technical eras, including a period using high-revving naturally aspirated V8 engines and later transitions involving turbocharged engines and GT3-based regulations as manufacturer costs and participation shifted. Throughout its history, the series has been known for aggressive, close-quarters racing and has served as a proving ground for drivers who went on to Formula 1 and other top-tier categories.