It's finally, officially, out from under its covers: say hello to the first-ever BMW M3 Touring. The estate-bodied version of the BMW M3 saloon will be exclusively sold in Competition specification, using M xDrive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Aggressive BMW M styling
Given how long BMW M has been talking about the M3 Touring, and how much teasing there has been of its design, its aggressive appearance is of little surprise, but that doesn't detract from the sense of occasion one bit. If anything, the bulging wheelarches look all the more pronounced on the estate car body, which adds 'M roof rails' (they're black...) and a new Gurney-style flap on the roof spoiler.
Sadly, though the roof itself is black as standard (you can have it body-coloured if you wish), it won't be possible to get an M3 Touring with the same carbon-fibre finish found in the M3 saloon and M4 Coupe. However, buyers can pay a little more for the optional M Carbon exterior package, featuring carbon inlays for the front air intakes and a unique rear diffuser, along with carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) door mirror caps. The latter are just gloss-black by default.
Mixed-size alloy wheels are fitted, measuring 19-inch up front and 20-inch at the rear, painted in Jet Black. They can be finished in a bi-colour diamond polish instead or buyers can upgrade them to M forged wheels - as pictured here.
Elsewhere, M3 styling cues such as the upright grille design, quad exhaust outlets and a gloss-black lower section running around the entire car are present and correct.
Practical estate body
The M3 Touring is considerably longer and wider than the BMW 3 Series Touring due to its body add-ons, but it's just as practical. Behind the automatically opening tailgate (the glass can open separately) is a 500-litre boot, expanding to 1,510 litres when the 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats are tumbled forward. It's a five-seat vehicle.
If you're as serious about holding your luggage in place as you are your cornering speeds, it might be worth considering the optional rubberised anti-slip rails that rise up out of the boot floor when the hatch is closed down.
Elsewhere, the cabin of the M3 Touring mirrors that of the M3 saloon with its red M buttons and engine start-stop button, a leather-trimmed drive selector and lots of other M-specific details to differentiate the M3 from lesser M Sport models. The specification includes Merino leather-upholstered M Sport seats up front with electric adjustment and M seat belts, but we'd urge buyers to specify the glorious M Carbon bucket seats instead, regardless of the cost. They save nearly 10kg, too.
The M3 Touring gets BMW's Curved Display dashboard, which has yet to find its way to the saloon model, but is available in other new models, such as the BMW i4. Two screens (one for instruments, the other a touchscreen) are integrated into one clean-looking design, and it runs the latest BMW operating system for a wealth of connectivity and functionality.
Full suite of M chassis systems
Within that system is the usual setup menu for all the sub-systems to allow the driver to customise the car to their mood and the road conditions. The M3 Touring features adaptive damping, variable ratio steering, an electronically controlled rear differential and a considerable amount of structural bracing to ensure that the car is suited to track driving. It also comes with an M version of BMW's integrated braking system.
M Carbon ceramic brakes are optional, while M Traction Control, allowing ten stages of intervention, is fitted as standard.
Competition-spec 3.0-litre
As mentioned above, the M3 Touring will be available in a single specification, the Competition model. All versions use M xDrive all-wheel drive and the M-enhanced eight-speed automatic gearbox. The engine is the same as that of the M3/M4, a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six mounted up front longitudinally. Peak power is 510hp and it also produces up to 650Nm of torque. BMW quotes a 0-100km/h time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h (though this can be raised to 280km/h if the buyer specifies the M Driver's Pack). As in other all-wheel-drive M cars, there are 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD settings for the xDrive system.
BMW M3 Touring price in Ireland
BMW Ireland has confirmed that the new M3 Touring will be priced at €147,160. For reference, the M3 Competition M xDrive costs a little over €145,000.