BMW M3 Touring releasing in first quarter of 2023
Words: Harrison Wade
After months of being teased about BMW’s first-ever production M3 Touring, it’s finally been released.
Ahead of its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, BMW has revealed everything there is to know about the new wagon, alongside official images.
The M3 Touring will get the same high-revving 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six that powers its M3 sedan counterpart, producing 375kW of power and 650Nm of torque.
Connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission, BMW claims the hot estate can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds while 0 to 200km/h takes 12.9 seconds.
Selectable drive settings mean the M-wagon can be put into rear-wheel drive by switching off dynamic stability control.
Finetuning of the wagon’s chassis has been conducted to increase torsional stiffness, giving it greater agility and driving dynamics on road.
Moreover, adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled shock absorbers come as standard on the Touring. Optional carbon ceramic brakes can also be fitted as an alternative to the standard steel brakes.
Light-alloy 19-inch wheels up front complement the larger 20-inch wheels at the rear and can be wrapped in track tyres if so desired.
The interior features a 12.3-inch curved digital dash and a 14.9-inch infotainment and control display, the latter hosting M-specific widgets like car set-up and tyre conditions.
Optional carbon bucket seats for the driver and passenger can be fitted instead of the standard M Sport seats.
As it’s a wagon there’s increased storage space. A load capacity of 500 litres can be increased to 1510 litres by folding the three-section rear seat down. An automatic tailgate and separately opening rear window make life easier when loading the wagon.
The exterior builds on the M3 sedan’s design with the addition of a longer roofline but retains its muscular fenders and large kidney grilles.
New Zealand vehicle arrival and customer deliveries are set for the first quarter of 2023, with pricing and specification to be announced later this year.
