As of: January 30, 2024, 5:17 a.m
By: Volker Pfau
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A station wagon premiere with almost endless power: For the first time, BMW is also offering the powerful M3 in a touring version.
Sporty BMW drivers don't need to explain what the letter M means: endless power.
More than 50 years after the founding of the GmbH, which stands for the particularly powerful models, there is now an M3 as a station wagon for the first time - referred to as a Touring in accordance with BMW nomenclature.
We were driving the M3 Competition xDrive sports truck.
But the station wagon version is also already available for its big brother, the M5.
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However, the designers first put some sporting effort before driving pleasure, because getting into the carbon bucket seats at the front requires a certain amount of flexibility.
In the rear seats, two adults will find a lot of space with plenty of head and legroom after getting in much more comfortably through the doors that swing open quite wide.
The red start button cranks out 510 horsepower
Beautiful back: Most drivers will probably see this view of the BMW station wagon - the M3 Touring can reach speeds of up to 280 km/h © BMW
Pressing the red start button on the center console then brings the 3-liter in-line six-cylinder to life.
Expressed in numbers, this life consists of an engine output of 510 hp, a maximum torque of 650 Nm, which is available in the range between 2,750 and 5,500 rpm, and a top speed of 280 km/h.
Our test sample with winter tires was limited to a maximum of 240 km/h.
These values sound like a sporty, brisk ride that should preferably take place on a race track.
Nevertheless, we mainly used the backpack BMW as a commercial vehicle in everyday life: for commuting to work, for errands to the supermarket and for long trips on short vacations.
Particularly in the latter case, the BMW proved to be a fine driving machine on long stretches of the motorway, with which you can eat up kilometers quite calmly even at a relaxed speed of a maximum of 150 km/h and, on top of that, keep consumption at a tolerable level.
The best place is behind the wheel: the sports seats are surprisingly comfortable © BMW
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But even when you let the horses run and tend to drive at the limit, the M3 Touring always exudes sovereignty and is safe, stable and confident at all times and in every situation.
An M button for use on the race track
According to BMW, you can use the M-Mode button to “create a particularly puristic performance experience,” which results in, among other things, an even more robust sound, even more sensitive response to the accelerator pedal commands and a firmer, but by no means uncomfortable chassis.
We left the setting options in track mode untouched; these are reserved exclusively for use on the racetrack.
There are, for example, traction control, lap timers and drift analyzers.
In the future, the M3 could become a very quiet car: it will also come as an electric car.
Sound system: The exhaust system of the BMW M3 Touring pleases the ears of all motorsport enthusiasts © BMW
There's enough space in the backpack racing car: 1,510 liters of luggage go in there
Instead, we drove our backpack racing car to the supermarket, picked up drinks and transported garden waste.
There was enough space, the M3 Touring can hold up to 1,510 liters of luggage and can carry a maximum of 505 kilograms.
The BMW engineers put a lot of thought into this practical part and developed the luggage compartment package, which can be ordered separately for 400 euros.
It includes, among other things, a control panel on the right side of the luggage compartment, which makes it possible to activate the folding mechanism for the rear seat backrest elements from there.
The trunk cover and luggage compartment partition net can be transported in storage compartments under the cargo area floor.
Optionally, rubberized anti-slip rails extend out of the floor after the tailgate is closed.
They prevent items of luggage from slipping during dynamic acceleration maneuvers or in fast corners.
Turning circle slightly larger than that of the sedan
Although the M3 station wagon is several centimeters longer and wider than the normal 3 Series, we had no trouble maneuvering thanks to the extensive equipment with various electronic beeping aids and cameras.
Only the turning circle, which at 12.6 meters is over a meter larger than the normal 3 Series, required more steering movements.
In contrast to the 7 Series luxury sedan, which now has approval for autonomous driving, you have to keep your hands on the wheel with the M3 Touring.
But seriously: who wants to have this pleasure literally taken out of their hands?
Premiere: For the first time, BMW is offering an M3 in a station wagon version © BMW
Trailer hitch?
Nothing wrong with this station wagon
It almost seems strange that there is no trailer hitch on the pleasure truck.
Although the M3 Touring is not ideal as a towing vehicle for a caravan or boat trailer, one or two BMW drivers may want to take their bike with them on a corresponding carrier at the rear - and for that they also need an appropriate trailer hitch.
In response to a corresponding query, we received the following explanation from BMW: “The characteristic sports exhaust system of the BMW M3 Touring, which is so loved by many BMW M fans, leaves no room for a trailer hitch.” So bulky luggage has to go in the trunk, on the roof or stay at home .
And there was something else we didn't like about the otherwise so inspiring vehicle: the feel of the sun visors seemed cheap and didn't fit in at all with the otherwise very elegant interior and high-quality workmanship.
Consumption ranges from surprisingly little to incredibly high
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You control consumption with your forward momentum and the intensity of pressure on the accelerator pedal.
In the extremes we drove with less than nine liters of Super Plus per 100 kilometers, but also recorded a consumption of more than 15 liters over the same distance.
A theoretical range of over 600 kilometers is quite realistic with the 59 liter tank.
In order to own the BMW M3 Touring, you need the impressive sum of at least 101,300 euros.
Thanks to various extras, our copy would have had to cost 127,590 euros.
Conclusion: The BMW M3 is a horsepower showpiece.
But there aren't many other alternatives in this class for transporting people and cargo from A to B so unreasonably quickly and with such incredible pleasure.
In any case, it would be a shame if this car were treated like an M3 CSL that was forgotten in an underground car park.