BMW’s decision to officially unveil a royal version of the M3 super saloon has been greeted with excitement after a series of false dawns and years of promises. However, as enthusiasts rejoiced, a disturbing thought lingered in our minds. Will this roomier version of the M3 Competition be the car we’ve been hoping for, or will it be a colossal disappointment? There is only one way to find out…
Metal
Although it was a surprise when BMW finally revealed that the M3 Touring would be built, seeing the car in the flesh was not. Take the basic shape of the 320d Touring and combine it with the sporty elements of the M3 Competition saloon, and you’re almost there, although with some minor differences in the roof and the like.
Aside from that, the M3 Touring is attractive, especially from the side or rear quarter. You get the same flared arches as the M3 saloon, as well as the same small nostrils behind the front wheels and side skirts. There’s the same four-port exhaust and aggressive aero diffuser in the rear, as does a similar rear spoiler above the 3 Series’ tailgate.
The interior is also quite similar, with BMW’s curved screen dominating the space. The touchscreen infotainment system and digital instrument cluster, located behind the steering wheel, are housed in a single, wide container. This is standard on the latest third and fourth-generation cars, including M cars, but the high-performance variants differ slightly.
There are red buttons on the centre console and steering wheel, a model-specific gear lever and carbon fibre trim on the dashboard. There are also some nice gear-shift paddles behind the steering wheel with rubber grips and M-specific seats with large bolsters to keep you in place.
If you wanted to, you could upgrade to carbon-enhanced bucket seats, which feel snug and cramped, but we can only guess that forcing someone out would be prohibited by European court rules: it’s very uncomfortable. The problem is that sitting for more than two hours is very painful, so you’re left with an unattractive option. After all, it is probably best to use regular benches.
Seating aside, the M3’s cabin is exceptionally high quality, with plenty of premium materials and a very German feel that everything is perfectly matched. But there are some drawbacks, such as the many buttons surrounding the gear lever and the climate control system, which BMW has integrated into the touchscreen.
We like the M3’s head-up display and instrument cluster, and the touchscreen isn’t terrible either. It’s laid out logically, looks premium, and keeps the iDrive rotary controller in the centre console, letting you manage the system by touch once you get used to it.
The M3 Touring looks almost identical to the four-door M3, except in one area. It makes the M3 Touring’s body more practical than its saloon-shaped sister, even if the numbers indicate otherwise. The trunk volume of the M3 Touring is 500 litres, which is only 20 litres more than the trunk volume of the M3. However, the numbers are deceiving due to the excellent tailgate and the area above the window line. When hauling the big stuff, the Touring is still much better than its siblings.
Then there is the matter of interior space. Although the M3 saloon isn’t what you’d call stingy when accommodating rear-seat passengers, the Touring body offers a bit more headroom. The difference isn’t huge, but taller passengers will thank you for that extra clearance.
Leadership
Not surprisingly, the M3 Touring gets the same engine as the M3 sedan, which means a 3.0-litre straight-six under the hood. It has 510 hp and is turbocharged, so it has “ample” pulling power. However, unlike the M3 sedan, which has a choice of rear- or all-wheel-drive systems, the M3 Touring only comes with xDrive all-wheel drive and the standard eight-speed automatic transmission.
The advantage of all-wheel drive is increased traction, allowing xDrive vehicles to put their energy more easily into any situation. As a result, the standard M3 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, three-tenths faster than the standard rear-wheel drive M3. However, since the stock body weighs 85 kg more than the saloon, the M3 Touring is still a tenth of a second slower than the all-wheel drive M3 saloon. However, the larger chassis has little effect on peak speed, with all M3s limited to 250 km/h as usual, and the M Driver’s Pack increasing them to 280 km/h. Not that such a thing matters in real-world driving.
In terms of performance, BMW has undoubtedly delivered a great experience, but how the M3 Touring feels is particularly impressive. It has the same snarl and ferocity as the M3 sedan, and the all-wheel drive system works just as well to maintain traction. Even in difficult and wet conditions,
It also includes the same driving modes that allow you to adjust depending on your actions. The Baseline Comfort option offers the softest suspension, ideal for long trips and highway cruising but feels stiff at low speeds and lacks body control when you cruise around. However, the Comfort settings don’t display the steering or brakes in the best light, with the Sports settings providing significantly more positivity.
There are three levels of transmission ferocity to choose from, as well as three modes for the all-wheel drive system. The Normal mode is excellent, providing plenty of traction, while the Sport 4WD level offers a more rear-biased configuration for more side-scrolling tricks on the track. Alternatively, you can switch to rear-wheel drive mode for a more in-depth experience, aided by traction control with ten different levels of slip.
But once you find the setting(s) that work for you, the M3 Touring transforms into an all-around rock star. It handles brilliantly, with excellent balance thanks to the controls, power delivery, and weight distribution, and has a lot of potential in rain or snow. The traction is incredible, the performance is captivating, and the ride is smooth enough to make long drives pleasurable. In short, it’s practically identical to the M3 saloon.
What you get for your money
- Sold exclusively in Competition xDrive trim
- 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine produces 375kW/650Nm
- Priced from $177,500 before on-road costs
Revealed in June 2022, the M3 Touring is the first wagon from BMW’s high-performance M division to be sold in Australia after local buyers missed out on the limited-run M5 Touring built from 2007 to 2010.
The BMW M3 Touring is priced at $177,500 plus on-road costs, making it $8000 more expensive than the equivalent sedan.
Like the flagship four-door BMW M3, the Touring will be supplied exclusively in Competition xDrive trim, which combines the ‘S58’ 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder petrol engine with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
BMW claims the M3 Touring, which produces up to 375kW and 650Nm, can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds and reach 200km/h in 12.9 seconds from a standstill.
The BMW M3 Touring has an electronically regulated top speed of 250km/h; the $17,500 M Carbon Experience option may extend this to 280km/h.
The M Carbon Experience package includes M Carbon bucket seats (which reduce the car’s weight by 9.6kg), carbon fibre interior and exterior trim, and two coupons for advanced BMW Driving Experience courses.
2023 BMW M3 pricing
- BMW M3 manual – $153,500
- BMW M3 Competition automatic – $163,500
- BMW M3 Competition xDrive automatic – $169,500
- BMW M3 Touring automatic – $177,500
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
- 2023 BMW M3 Touring standard features:
- 500-litre boot (1510 with folded rear seats)
- Automatic powered tailgate
- Separately opening the tailgate window
- BMW M 50th anniversary badging
- 19-inch front, 20-inch rear forged alloy wheels
- Non-metallic paint
- Alpine White, Sao Paulo Yellow
- Metallic paint
- Black Sapphire, Portimao Blue, Toronto Red, Isle of Man Green, Brooklyn Grey, Skyscraper Grey, Aventurine Red
- M-compound brakes with blue callipers (high-gloss red or black available as a no-cost option)
- M Drive Professional driver system
- Active rear differential
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 14.9-inch central touchscreen
- Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio
- Tyre pressure indicator
- Tire repair kit
- Adaptive M suspension
- BMW Digital Key functionality with keyless entry
- Laser headlights with auto high-beam
- BMW Individual Lights Shadow Line
- M sport seats with electric adjustment and driver’s memory
- Front-seat lumbar support and heating
- M seat belts
- Merino leather upholstery
- Yas Marina Blue/Black, Silverstone/Black, Kyalami Orange/Black, Black/Black
- Carbon-fiber interior trim elements
- Ambient cabin lighting
- Three-zone climate control
- Head-up display
- Harman Kardon surround sound system
- Wireless smartphone charging
- Metallic paint
- Interior and exterior mirror package
- Forward collision warning with pedestrian detection
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Lane departure warning
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Parking assistant plus
- Front cross-traffic alert
- Lane centering assist
The optional $17,500 Carbon Experience package adds:
- M Carbon bucket seats
- 9.6kg weight reduction
- Cut-outs in the rear seat backrest, side sections, and functional belt guides for multi-point seat belts
- Visible carbon surfaces across back sections
- Removable headrest cover for additional helmet space
- M Carbon exterior package
- Mirror caps in carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP)
- Side inlets in the front bumper with CFRP frame structure
- The rear diffuser insert in CFRP
- M Driver’s package
- Top speed increased from 250 km/h to 280 km/h
- BMW M Driving Experience
- Voucher for BMW M Driving Experience Advance 1 and 2 courses at BMW Driving Experience
The optional $16,500 M Carbon ceramic brake package adds:
- Matte gold-painted brake callipers (six-piston front, one-piston rear) with M lettering
- 400mm carbon ceramic front rotors, 380mm rear rotors (up from 380mm/370mm respectively)
Optional BMW Individual paintwork includes:
- Dravit Grey ($2500)
- Tanzanite Blue ($2500)
- Frozen Portimao Blue metallic ($5000)
- Frozen Pure Grey metallic ($5000)
- Frozen Black metallic ($5000)
- Frozen Orange metallic ($5000)
- Frozen Brilliant White Metallic ($7000)
Optional BMW Individual Merino leather options include:
- Tartufo ($1000)
- Fiona Red/Black ($1000/$3000 when combined with M carbon bucket seat)
- Ivory White ($1000/$3000 when combined with M carbon bucket seat)
- Fjord Blue/Black ($1000/$3000 when combined with M carbon bucket seat)
summary
The BMW M3 Competition Touring is just as good as we hoped. Yes, it’s pricey, and yes, the four-door sedan is partly better for driving on the max, but the estate struggles again with ample cabin space and a larger trunk. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, the M3 Touring is better than the M3 saloon, and it’s almost as good for the remaining 1 per cent. This means that this is not only the best M3 you can buy but one of the best driver’s cars you can buy at full stop. See the new BMW I Vision Dee. Merging virtual experience with real driving pleasure
