You have to wonder: what took them so long? The BMW M3 lineage dates all the way back to 1986 and only now does a station wagon variant of the model exist.
Well, in official series production form anyway, as those with esoteric knowledge of the Bavarian firm's history will attest.
Yes, the brand once built a one-off M3 Touring prototype based on the vaunted E46 chassis in the mid-2000s.
As fearsome as it looked — with its pumped-up fenders and squat stance — the German firm seemed to believe there was no market for such a creation, all while Audi and Mercedes-Benz beat them to it, selling long-roofed, estate versions of their most potent A4 and C-Class representatives.
Anyway, no point in lamenting missed opportunities from the past. Fact is, the M3 Touring is here now — and it could well be an even more tempting prospecting than the regular sedan, or even the M4 coupé.
Before you approach with sharpened pitchforks, touting the dynamic superiority of those slightly lighter, purer body styles, just take a minute to consider the real-world benefits of a vehicle with supercar-rivalling performance — that you can also quite easily take your family on holiday with.
Some background before we get into it. The current G80 M3 was first launched in 2021. Though it marked a more polished evolution than its predecessor, beneath the veil of refinement, its wild streak was quite much retained.
South African buyers in this arena are partial to high specification, so by default, our market receives the M3 in full-cream Competition guise, with more power over the standard vehicle and the fitment of the xDrive system. All-wheel drive, to you and me.
At R2,218,506 the Touring costs just over R20,000 more than the regular M3 sedan. According to BMW, its allocation for the year is already spoken for.
There is credence to the idea that the Touring could become a cult classic in the same way that the Z3 M Coupé did. The novelty factor is significant.
Visually, the added proportions and “shooting brake” silhouette give the M3 a substantial footprint.
It is only 7mm longer than the saloon, with wheelbase and width identical.
The obvious party piece is revealed when its tailgate is opened: 500l of luggage space, extending to 1,510l with the seats folded.
Just make sure your goods are fastened, because the Touring can hustle from rest to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds, a mere 0.1 of a second slower than the saloon, despite being 85kg heavier.
It will keep going all the way to a maximum top speed of 280km/h, handy if you have access to an autobahn or closed circuit.
Arguably the most endearing trait of the M3 is its six-cylinder power source. The twin-turbocharged, 3.0-litre motor has deep lungs, delivering a seemingly boundless groundswell of torque.
Even driven in its most docile settings, the 390kW/650Nm unit makes its potential known. At full tilt, it blasts just about everything else on the road into the bushes. The performance of the M3 Touring rivals more pedigreed, focused machinery costing twice as much.
In the corners, the slight weight increase over the saloon is unnoticeable. The xDrive system facilitates a leech-like sense of grip in the bends, allowing the driver to achieve stupefying cornering velocities. It never feels as though it is on the knife's edge; only when you look down at the speedometer do you realise you were carrying pace that might have felt uncomfortable in a lesser vehicle.
You can pilot the M3 in rear-wheel drive mode, which leaves the driver to their own devices entirely, without electronic intervention. Toggle into this setting at your own risk, on a closed course ideally. It transforms the M3 Touring into a lethal drift weapon, with a slide-happy bum reminiscent of the previous F80 model, before xDrive was applied.
Dialled back into its meekest setting, the M3 serves as sensible daily drive, with the same quirk-free character as a garden-variety 3-Series.
Looking past the obvious, race-themed cabin accoutrements, the latest-generation BMW infotainment system works beautifully. And though screen-intensive, the fascia remains as driver-centric in orientation as cars from the Munich marque have always been.
Took them long enough to build, but the new M3 Touring is a bona fide modern classic in the making.
