BMW M3 Touring, a competition vehicle with a family body

The BMW M division takes sportiness to a new dimension with the introduction of the first BMW M3 Touring.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
03 July 2023 Monday 23:05
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BMW M3 Touring, a competition vehicle with a family body

The BMW M division takes sportiness to a new dimension with the introduction of the first BMW M3 Touring. The combination of the feeling of being in a competition car meets greater practicality to create a vehicle with a unique character. The BMW M3 Touring is the latest representation of M's expertise in combining high performance with uncompromising practicality and long-distance driving comfort.

Available from 124,000 euros, this car combines the highest propulsion technology and shows a clear focus on performance. The BMW M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive is the only model variant, equipped with an inline six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, combined with an eight-speed M Steptronic gearbox with Drivelogic and an M all-wheel drive system. xDrive.

The BMW M3 Touring has a unique aesthetic that marks a clear differentiation within the range. It adopts M-specific exterior design elements specially designed to meet the technical requirements placed on a high-performance sports car.

It is distinguished by its large cooling air intakes and grille with vertically arranged BMW kidneys, muscular wheel arches, M gills, prominently extended side skirts and front and rear apron attachment elements in black, or a system of exhaust with two pairs of exhaust outlets.

Other differentiating elements are the model-specific Gurney roof spoiler, roof finished in high-gloss black as standard, or in body color as an option. An M Carbon Fiber Exterior Package is also available as an option.

The M3 Touring is powered by a 510 PS/650 Nm in-line six-cylinder engine with hallmark M performance characteristics such as instant response and linear power delivery even at high revs. Its performance is exceptional, with acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. The approved combined fuel consumption is 10.1 liters per 100 km, with CO2 emissions from 229 g/km.

The power unit has been developed based on the brand's experience in motorsport and serves as the basis for the engine used in the BMW M4 GT3 in endurance racing. The cooling system and oil supply are designed to withstand extremely high longitudinal and lateral dynamic forces on the track.

Engine power is managed via the eight-speed M Steptronic gearbox with Drivelogic, which features three shift programs and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The M xDrive all-wheel drive system and the active M differential on the rear axle maximize traction, directional stability and dynamic cornering.

Power transfer prioritizes sending to the rear axle. The driver can choose between three modes to personalize the performance experience: 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD, the latter of which enables pure rear-wheel drive and disables the stability control system.

The M chassis technology has a specific tuning, offering a balance between competition performance and high ride comfort for daily use. The M adaptive suspension with electronically controlled dampers and the M Servotronic steering with variable assistance are part of the standard equipment.

The integrated braking system has two settings to configure the feel and response of the pedal. The M3 Touring is fitted with the M Compound braking system as standard, with high performance M carbon ceramic brakes being optional. The German sports car is fitted with 19-inch front and 20-inch rear M forged light-alloy wheels, optionally shod with track tyres.

The DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) includes the M Dynamic mode, an integrated limited wheel slip control. The standard equipment M Drive Professional includes M Traction Control with a ten-level adjustable wheel slip limiter within the 2WD mode of the M xDrive system, as well as M Drift Analyzer and M Laptimer.

Apart from its extraordinary package of technologies that make it a pure sports car, the BMW M3 Touring is a car with a versatile interior and a load capacity that can increase from 500 liters to a maximum of 1,510 litres. It has automatic tailgate operation, rear window that opens independently as standard, storage under the boot floor and boot separation net. Anti-slip rails that rise from the boot floor are optional.

The cabin design is driver-focused to ensure an intense driving experience. The new BMW iDrive features the BMW Curved Display with M-specific gauges. Information is concentrated in new graphics on the 12.3-inch screen. M-specific widgets for car settings and tire status can be displayed on the 14.9-inch central information display.

For maximum support, the M3 Touring is fitted with M Sport seats and Merino leather upholstery as standard, with lightweight carbon fiber M bucket seats available as an option. Standard equipment also includes three-zone automatic climate control, BMW Live Cockpit Plus with BMW Maps navigation system, ambient lighting, a hi-fi speaker system and an interior and exterior mirror package.

The M-specific control/operation concept includes the setting button for direct access to settings for the engine, chassis, steering, brake system and M xDrive. The M buttons on the steering wheel allow memorizing and activating two personalized general settings.

The Bavarian sports car has a wide selection of automated driving and parking functions as standard such as forward collision warning, speed limit information and parking distance control.

Options include Driving Assistant Professional with steering and lane guidance assist, Active Cruise Control, automatic speed limit assist, traffic light recognition and active navigation, as well as parking assist including ride assist back.

Digitization is another of the model's strengths, thanks to the new BMW iDrive, based on the BMW operating system 8. It features BMW's Intelligent Personal Assistant and the BMW Curved Display offers intuitive, multimodal interaction between driver and vehicle using the Touch and voice control. The personalization possibilities are manifold via BMW ID and the My BMW App. The 5G mobile technology system ensures optimized connectivity.