BMW is finally putting an M3 Touring into production, and it has teased the anticipated high-performance wagon again.
As seen at the end of a video uploaded by BMW M to YouTube commemorating the BMW M3 and M4, the M3 Touring emerges as the latest member of the M line-up.
BMW Blog has reported the M3 Touring will be revealed in “early summer 2022” in the northern hemisphere, suggesting a June reveal.
It’s been confirmed for an Australian launch, though exactly when hasn’t been confirmed.
Reports have suggested it’ll launch in Europe in 2022, with most global markets receiving it by early 2023.
When it’s revealed, the new long-roofed M car will be the first mass-produced M3 Touring in the model’s long and storied history. The company only ever built a prototype E46 M3 wagon in 2000.
The BMW M3 Touring will reportedly be powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six cylinder engine producing 375kW of power and 650Nm of torque.
This is the same engine as the higher-spec M3 Competition and M4 Competition.
The M3 Touring will come exclusively with an eight-speed automatic and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system.
At the end of the video, BMW indicates the M3 will have a claimed combined fuel consumption of 10.3L/100km.
The claimed fuel consumption is up 0.2L/100km on the all-wheel drive Competition sedan, likely due to extra weight and different aerodynamics.
The M3 Touring seen in the video the same black-and-white camouflage wrap with the decal reading “B’ring it on” on the side, hinting at BMW potentially gunning for the production wagon lap record around the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
There’s also a QR code that sends you to a webpage that explores the history of BMW M wagons and some previously seen imagery of the M3 Touring.
In response to the question, “What type of driver was the BMW M3 Touring developed for?” BMW M3 Touring Product Manager Hagen Franke said the following:
“For us and for everyone who shares our joy in dynamic, self-determined driving on country roads, fast motorway or highway stages, or the daily fun of driving in the urban jungle. In short, everyone who finds the space a bit too small in the BMW M3 sedan and the seating position in the X3 M a bit too high.”
Behind the wheel, the M3 Touring will feature a curved infotainment and driver’s display running the latest iDrive 8.0 software, as previously spied, instead of split displays and iDrive 7.0 on offer in the current M3 and M4.
Pictured: Previously spied BMW M3 Touring prototype
The wider 3 Series range is expected to pick up the new infotainment technology as part of a mid-life refresh during 2022. The newer system already features on the iX and i4 electric cars, along with the 2 Series Active Tourer revealed for Europe.
BMW’s reluctance to make an M3 wagon has long proved puzzling, particularly as it has launched M-branded versions of much of its SUV range, including the X3, X4, X5, and X6.
The high-performance BMW wagons have previously been left to tuning firms like Alpina that pick up the slack with fettled 3 Series wagons.
The lack of a BMW M wagon has previously left this niche wide open for the likes of the Audi RS4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 wagons.
BMW has been somewhat more willing to dabble in the segment above, offering an M5 wagon for two shorts stints: from 1992 to 1995 (the E34) and from 2006 to 2019 (the E60).
MORE: Everything BMW M3
