Form a large part of BMW car The M division’s 50th anniversary celebration is a new and supposedly long overdue member of the M3 lined up in the shape of the BMW M3 Touring estate. Book orders for the M3 Touring will open this September, with production commencing in November. UK prices will start from £80,550.
Back in 2000, BMW produced a ‘Touring’ concept version of the E46 M3, which was a technical exercise for the M engineers, rather than a serious exploration of actual styling for the E46. Performance icons for coupes and convertibles only.
Since then, the M3 has become a pickup truck, while coupe and convertible models use the M4 badge. Now, asset the final version is also here and it has Audi RS 4 Avant definitely in its sights.
It is set for the first public outing at 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and BMW has identified the UK as a key market for the M3 Touring, second only to Germany in predicted sales. With the most recent generation of M cars, the UK only uses Competition versions with higher specifications than the base models offered elsewhere. But there is no alternative to the M3 Touring in any country as it is only built as a Competition model.
That means under the bonnet is a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six that makes 503hp and 650Nm of torque, at 7,200rpm. That power is sent to the road via an eight-speed automatic transmission and xDrive all-wheel drive. BMW claims 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds, just a tenth of a second slower than the M3 Competition xDrive. Top speed is, as always, electronically limited to 155mph, with the option to raise this to 174mph by choosing the optional M Driver Package.
Visual changes compared to the 3 Series Touring include the addition of a vertical kidney grille, an aggressive bodykit, wider wheels and a large diffuser with a quad exhaust setup.
There are plenty of optional carbon fiber trim and forged alloy wheels, lightweight, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear, and larger rear brakes. Carbon-ceramic discs are available as an option, but the brand’s adaptive M suspension is standard fit.
The boot space matches that of the standard 3 Series Touring. With all seats, the M3 Touring can hold 500 liters of luggage, while folding the rear seats increases this to 1,510 liters. The M3 Touring retains the standard car’s new rearview mirror, which can be opened independently.
Inside, the M3 Touring adopts the updated interior of the new facelift 3 Seriescomplete with an M-part makeover. The brand’s new ‘Curved Display’ infotainment system and instrumentation are used, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel that seamlessly blends with 14.9 inch central touch screen.
M Sport seats are standard, but bucket seats made from carbon fiber are available as an option. Merino leather seats are also standard, but full leather in four different shades is also available.
BMW Performance Parts for the M3 Touring
As with the M3 pickup truck, M3 Touring buyers can decorate it with the M Performance Parts package, which adds visual and performance tweaks.
On the outside of the bumpers, the side skirts and rear bumper, the mirror caps, the air intakes on the spoiler, the rear spoiler, the antenna cover and even the fuel tank cap are covered in carbon fiber. The forged wheels are available in Frozen Gold or Jet Black in 19 and 20 inch or 20 and 21 inch sizes.
Inside the package is additional carbon fiber for the steering wheel and gearshift paddles. Alcantara is found on the armrests and cushions of M Performance. There are also unique M Performance logos for the door projector.
At the rear, we see the same four-stacked exhaust layout as the M Performance M3 saloon with titanium intakes. It features new routing to amplify engine noise and is about 7 kg lighter than the standard system.
Performance tweaks aren’t just limited to the exhaust as there’s a new coil suspension with the M Performance package. The suspension system has not changed, but the new system allows the ground clearance to be continuously adjusted from 5mm to 20mm.
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