Here’s the New BMW M3 Touring We Can’t Have

Announced in August of 2020, the all-new BMW M3 Touring marks the first time the German automaker’s high-performance compact car is available as a wagon. And a sharp-looking one, too.

It will go on sale in the U.K., Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand later in 2022, but sadly not in North America despite a petition that was launched last year.

Yeah, we’re bummed. Sure, super-sporty wagons are niche products and BMW understandably prefers to sell the X3 M instead, but performance enthusiasts—especially those who start a family—may want increased cargo space and versatility while still enjoying the driving characteristics of a car, not an SUV.

Photo: BMW

The BMW M3 Touring is based on the 3 Series Touring model that’s sold overseas and equipped with the same AWD powertrain as the M3 Competition. Under the bonnet, er, hood is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine that cranks out 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque.

Power is controlled by an eight-speed automatic gearbox and distributed among all four wheels via the xDrive system. Similar to the sedan, a 2WD mode is available (with ESC turned off) for those occasions where big skids are possible, like on a track.

Photo: BMW

The M3 Touring is obviously heavier, but definitely not a slouch. BMW claims 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.6 seconds, which is just a tenth slower. Making sprints even more fun is a quad exhaust system delivering thrilling sound effects.

The main advantage of this wagon versus the sedan or the M4 coupe is the 500-litre trunk that can expand up to 1,510 litres by folding the rear seats (in a practical 40/20/40 split). What’s more, the rear window opens separately, so you don’t always have to lift the power-assisted hatch to load items into the car.

Photo: BMW

From a design standpoint, the M3 Touring adds roof rails and features new 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. The interior gets the same updates as the 2023 3 Series starting with the new BMW Curved Display combining a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel with a 14.9-inch touchscreen. Powering the latter is the eighth generation of iDrive.

Photo: BMW

Oh, and if we were in the shoes of those lucky customers who will have access to the M3 Touring, we’d seriously consider replacing the standard M sport seats in Merino leather by the race-style M Carbon buckets you see here. They reduce weight by about 20 pounds and provide extra lateral support while preserving long-distance comfort, or so says BMW.

Watch: 2021 BMW M5 Competition Review

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