Should the Bavarian carmaker fulfil specific requirements set out by ITR, the DTM's governing body, it will be poised for a return to the sport for the 2012 season. "The planned return to the DTM is an exciting challenge for our team," said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen. "Over the coming months we will be making all the necessary technical preparations that should allow us to be competitive right from the start should we join the series in 2012."

The DTM, or German Touring Car Masters in English, currently consists of cars run by BMW's rivals. The 2009 season featured racing versions of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 by seven different teams, with 21 drivers in total. BMW is expected to field the M3 as its entry in the DTM.

BMW was an original member of the DTM series until it folded in 1996 due to a lack of interest by the manufacturers. The series was revived in 2000 and now consists of ten rounds of races held from May to October, at circuits across Germany as well as in France, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.