For the first time in the M3’s history, BMW will offer a station-wagon version of the performance model under the ‘Touring’ moniker. However, it won’t launch in North America, where the company doesn’t even sell the regular 3-Series wagon (that’s one of the main reasons we won’t get the M3 Touring either), while we’ll will have to wait along with the rest of the world until late 2022 to see it in final production form.
While BMW has yet to confirm
specifications, BMWBlog citing undisclosed sources reports that it won’t offer
a proper clutch pedal and push-it-yourself gearbox nor a rear-wheel drive
version. Instead, the report says, it will be available exclusively with the
8-speed automatic transmission and M-tuned xDrive all-wheel drive system.
That’s not the kind of news that
traditional enthusiasts want to hear, but truth be told, this configuration is
hardly a surprise, considering there isn’t much of a demand in wagons with
rear-wheel drive and a stick shift. It’s very likely then that the first-ever
M3 Touring will launch exclusively in Competition spec, which packs a tweaked
version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine producing 503 HP and 650 Nm paired to a standard 8-speed automatic driving
all-four wheels.
This same setup allows the M3 Sedan
Competition and M4 Coupe Competition to sprint to 96 km/h in just 3.8
seconds (4.1 sec for the 473 HP regular models). However, due to the added
weight, the long-roof variant might be a tad slower, adding perhaps one or two
tenths of a second to the acceleration time. Top speed, on the other hand,
should be identical, with a maximum 250 km/h achieved, or 290 km/h when ordering the new M3 Touring with the optional M Driver’s Pack.
