BMW’s New 510 HP Super Wagon, the M3 Touring, Is Finally Here
It’s taken six generations, but a BMW M3 wagon is finally here.
The German marque’s performance division unveiled the much-anticipated longroof M3 on Wednesday. With a 503 hp powertrain and all-wheel-drive, it’s a true performance wagon. There’s just one problem, and it’s a pretty big one as far as we’re concerned—it’s not bound for the US.
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This is the first M3 wagon since the model was first introduced in 1986, although, as Car and Driver points out, one almost debuted during the E36 generation (1992–1999). It joins the M3 sedan and M4 coupé as mid-size models in the M line, which also include four SUVs. The latest addition looks nearly identical to the other M3, including the giant kidney grills up front, with one obvious difference: The wagon’s roof extends past the C-pillar all the way to a rear hatch. It looks quite similar to the current-generation 3-series Touring, only much sportier because of its heavily sculpted body and massive rear diffuser.
The M3 Touring’s cabin also recalls the sedan version of the vehicle. The driver’s cockpit and dashboard will be familiar to anyone who’s sat in the current-gen M3, although the latter comes equipped with a brand-new 14.9-inch curved touchscreen that runs BMW’s refreshed Operating System 8 software suite. The biggest change, again, is in the back. The extended roof pushes the vehicles cargo capacity to 18 cubic feet, a number that increases to 53 cubic feet when the seats are folded down.
Like the top-of-the-range M3 Competition xDrive sedan, the Touring is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six. The mill is mated to eight-speed automatic M Steptronic transmission that sends power to all four wheels and is capable of producing a very robust 510 horses and 479 ft lbs of peak torque, according to the brand. Thanks to this you’ll be able to sprint from zero to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, zero to 124 mph in 12.9 seconds and push the car to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. If you opt for the M Driver’s Package that latter figure jumps to 174 mph. BMW’s xDrive system will also let you toggle between four-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive Sport, rear-wheel-drive, and there’s even a mode that will make drifting easier. If nothing else, the wagon should be fun to drive.
Unfortunately, for now, American drivers won’t get to join in on the fun. The M3 Touring, which will make its official debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, will go on sale later this year in basically every region but North America, suggesting BMW doesn’t think it’ll sell here. Fortunately, other brands, like Audi (the RS6 Avant) and Porsche (Taycan Cross Turismo), would seem to disagree. Let’s hope their German counterparts see the light sooner than later.
Check out more photos of the M3 Touring below:
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