BMW launched the 2023 M3 Touring earlier this week, finally building an official M3 wagon. The public got a chance to see the new M3 in motion at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed when the Duke of Richmond took the wagon on the hill climb course. Wet weather didn’t bother the Duke as he speeded up the winding road.
While the M3 Touring packs a punch in the power department, it channels all that power through an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission to the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which is nice to have in the wet. The M3’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine develops 503 horsepower (375 kilowatts) and 479 pound-feet (649 Newton-meters) of torque. This is the only power output as BMW only offers the M3 Touring specification in Competition.
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The long-roofed BMW is capable of hitting 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 3.6 seconds and can reach 174 mph (280 km/h). However, this is only achievable with the M Driver package. Without it, the wagon’s top speed drops to 155 mph (250 km/h).
BMW first teased the M3 Touring in the summer of 2020, and it’s only just debuted. It may seem long, but BMW had to modify the 3 Series Touring in order to create the M3 station wagon. The M3 Touring is 3.3 inches longer and 3 inches wider, which is the extra space BMW needed to accommodate the new rear axle. Yes, the increased size adds weight, but it’s also a practical new M car that’s not a crossover, so shhh.
The M3 Touring also gets an elongated dash-mounted display that houses the infotainment screen and driver’s display. It features BMW’s latest iDrive 8 infotainment software. You won’t find that in the M3 sedan, so if you want the latest tech, get the wagon, but you won’t be able to if you live in America. However, if you live in Germany or the UK, deliveries begin in December before rolling out to other markets.
It’s no surprise that the US doesn’t get the wagon as consumers here continue to prefer crossovers, SUVs and trucks. However, it is exciting to see the official M3 Touring wagon on the road.
