It seems like every BMW man and his dog has been waiting decades for an M3 Touring. After all, both the M3 and the Touring body shell made their debuts with the E30 in the 1980s, and given the M3 has appeared in coupe, cabriolet and saloon form over the years, a Touring variant feels like the missing piece. And yet, for some unknown reason, the M division has always resisted delivering one.

Maybe there has always been some unspoken understanding between Munich, Stuttgart and Ingolstadt: leave the coupe to the M division, the saloon to AMG and, of course, the estates to Audi. Each manufacturer gets to trumpet its own fiefdom of Teutonic superiority.

Whatever the reasoning, BMW has clearly thought about an M3 Touring before, teasing us with the E46 concept now locked away in some bunker deep within M HQ. That car planted a seed within M enthusiasts, leaving them impatiently waiting for an M3 Touring to germinate. (Check out our Short Shift article on that car for more.)

Two decades after that concept – and almost four since the E30 M3 broke cover in 1986 – that seed has finally borne fruit. But now that it has, the G81 Touring is a hard car to warm to if you classify yourself as a traditional M-lover. Gone is the bespoke, high-revving motorsport-inspired engine of yore, replaced by a modular motor packing big boost. The purity of rear-wheel drive has given way to four-wheel drive, and an eight-speed torque converter automatic now sits where a DCT or manual once lived. Worse still, BMW’s efforts to build the lightest car in the class by a significant margin have fallen by the wayside; travel two-up or get fancy with the options list, and the M3 Touring will surpass two metric tonnes – not to mention breach six figures in price.

It’s a lot to take in. I might sound pedantic, but these details matter to fans of the marque. An M car has always had that extra sprinkling of engineering magic that gives its products a specialness that leaps off the spec sheet and transfers itself to the driving experience. And that's before we talk about the way the car looks, which continues to divide opinions. Time nor familiarity hasn’t diluted its brutalism.

I’m not sure if Frank Van Meel, boss of the M division, has a favourite Star Wars movie, but you’d imagine he might be a fan of The Last Jedi. Perhaps he’d sympathise with Kylo Ren’s line: “Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to.” Such has been the online crowing for the ‘glory days’ of the E46 M3, or the fat-shaming of the new G90 M5.

But we live and operate in a different world – one in which the M cars of legacy can no longer exist. Porsche and Ferrari can get away with specialist high-revving naturally aspirated engines in limited-run sports and supercars, but the M division can’t – certainly not with a volume seller like the M3. Besides, even Formula One cars are turbocharged. Turbos are motorsport these days, and that’s what M stands for, right?

Despite any purist misgivings about turbochargers, even in super-slippery conditions, the engine dominates proceedings. Let’s just say 503bhp at 6,250rpm is more than sufficient. To be honest, I suspect there’s a typo in the BMW spec sheet because the output feels closer to 530bhp – a suspicion owner Phil confirms by quoting the 537bhp and 513lb/ft of torque the car produced on RS Tuning’s “heartbreaker” dyno. 

Yes, it’s completely docile when called for; however, the first full-bore standing start is enough to take your breath away. The M3 has mighty straight-line pace – any condition, any gear. We’re talking 0–100mph in 7.5 seconds. Phil has logged the car hitting 60mph in 3.3 seconds and covering 100–200km/h in 8.6 seconds using his Racebox GPS.

Even the piped-in engine noise has a feeling of authenticity about it. Instead of sounding like a synthetic six, it growls like a proper Munich straight-six. It’s raw, responsive and exciting – the clarity between octaves is a far cry from the early monotone system that augmented the F10 M5’s V8, a car that, frankly, sounded better in Gran Turismo than in real life.

But in give-and-take driving, it’s the S58’s torque, peaking between 2,750 and 5,500rpm (with useful shove from as low as 2,250rpm), that matters most. At first, you’ll instinctively short-shift at 5,500rpm and still make indecent progress. But you’ve got the best part of another 2,000rpm to play with. The engine isn’t done – it’ll spin to 7,200rpm and get there with alarming speed, but such is the level of mid-range go, you’ll rarely feel the need to rev the car right out, instead picking off gears with the paddles.

Whether the way the engine charges to the redline so feverishly is down to its responses or super-short gearing, I couldn’t say, but second gear is rendered near-enough useless on a back-road blast. The only time you’ll feel any lag is when the car is left to its own devices, quickly slurring shifts into a high gear, and you suddenly demand 20% more. Below 2,000rpm, it will struggle.

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What happens when you demand more? Despite the M3 Touring’s size and mass, you can truly hustle this car down a tight and twisty B-road. Third and fourth are the gears you’ll surf between, and such is the pace, agility and strength of the bodyshell, it weirdly calls to mind the GR Yaris. You feel every nuance of the road surface beneath you, yet remain confident in the car’s ability to soak it all up.

The body control and damping are exceptional. Yet, such is the M3’s pace across the ground, there is an odd queasiness to the ride quality at times as the dampers contend with rapid-fire inputs. Perhaps this quirk stems from the bucking, rippled surface of the Yorkshire B-roads we’re on because, on smoother tarmac, the M3 demonstrates nothing but supreme poise.

To ensure the Touring variant delivers dynamically, the M division has reinforced the centre and rear sections of the body with model-specific underfloor bracing elements, a new cross-bar, increased load compartment stiffness, and a bespoke rear subframe with a rigid connection to the body – as per the M3 saloon and M4 coupe. One element that hasn’t made the transition, however, is the signature carbon-fibre roof.

What’s for certain is there is no chance you’d drive the spiky, previous-generation F80 M3 in the manner of this car. Far from corrupting the chassis, all-wheel drive has proven to be the making of the M3. The G8X is a genuinely throttle-adjustable car thanks to the xDrive system. The intent of the four-wheel-drive system isn’t solely to channel every bhp into forward momentum – it’s also to entertain and embellish.

It might be software wizardry plying its trade at lightning speed via microchips, but here’s the crux – it never feels artificial or contrived, just fun and, dare I say, agile. The grin widens the harder you push, and the more you push, the more involved you feel. Turn-in is impressive for a car of this size and weight, but the truth is, that’s merely a prelude to the real reward – overspeeding the rear tyres post-apex. If all-out competence is what you’re after, particularly in challenging conditions or on unfamiliar roads, leaving xDrive in “4WD Normal” mode will see it out-Quattro an RS4 without breaking a sweat.

Traction and exploitability aside, the next biggest improvement is the electric power-assisted steering. BMW EPAS has come on leaps and bounds since the F87 M2 – the numbness is gone. Now there’s a more natural weighting, greater response just off-centre, and genuine feedback. Even in such greasy conditions, the confidence it inspires is undeniable.

I’d like to highlight the gearbox again for a moment. Specifically, the shifts themselves rather than the spacing of the ratios. A DCT would undoubtedly be snappier and more aggressive, but I honestly cannot fault the ZF eight-speed. No road test has ever slated the same gearbox in the Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio, so surely BMW gets a pass here too. The seats deserve a mention as well. They look fantastic and feel equally great – comfortable when cruising, vice-like when driving with intent – but only once you’re safely ensconced.

Negotiating the unforgiving carbon-clad sill, however, is another matter entirely. No doubt these seats will become a must-have item. Resistance to leaving that option unticked is futile. The driving position itself is excellent; you’re anchored low in the car, and the curved screen dash is well thought out, complete with a cool M1 graphic for tyre pressures. At first, the Touring feels like a big car – the extremes are hard to judge – but piloting it soon becomes second nature.

The M3 Touring has the ability to tackle anything you ask of it with utter competence. But does such a breadth of talents mean the adrenaline rush masks a lack of tactility? Could the M3 Touring’s showroom party-trick dynamics wear thin over a longer ownership stint? Any drawbacks are more about day-to-day living than the driving experience itself. Phil, who’s migrated from an M340i Touring to the M3, notes how, as a car of the moment, the M3 Touring draws a lot of attention. He admits the ride is noticeably firmer, and he’s somewhat surprised that, despite their engines sharing DNA, weighing roughly the same, and utilising the same gearbox, the M3’s mpg is significantly worse – even when driving with restraint.

While it’s true that some of the specialness of earlier M cars has inevitably been eroded – how could it not be – there is no doubt in my mind that the M3 Touring is a bona fide M car. It lives up to every hope, delivering everything you could ever need from a car. It’s good enough to convert the entire family it transports into petrolheads.

The blueprint of M might’ve evolved, but the M3 Touring immerses the driver in prodigious performance that remains unmistakably M, putting fresh air between it and any rival. And then, when you’ve had your fix, a single press of a button transforms it into a relaxing companion. It’s up there with Munich’s finest. Bravo, BMW. What took you so long?

2024 BMW M3 Touring Specification and Performance

Performance

Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six (S58)

Power Output: 503bhp at 6,250rpm

Torque: 479lb/ft (650Nm) between 2,750 and 5,500rpm

0–62mph (0–100km/h): 3.6 seconds

Top Speed: Electronically limited to 155mph (250km/h); increases to 174mph (280km/h) with the optional M Driver’s Pack

Transmission and Drivetrain

Gearbox: 8-speed M Steptronic automatic with Drivelogic

Drivetrain: M xDrive all-wheel drive with Active M Differential;

Configurable in 4WD, 4WD Sport, and 2WD modes

Dimensions

Length: 4,801mm

Width: 1,903mm

Height: 1,446mm

Wheelbase: 2,857mm

Unladen Weight (DIN): 1,865kg

Fuel Economy and Emissions

Combined Fuel Consumption: Approximately 27.4mpg (10.3 L/100km)

CO₂ Emissions: 234 g/km

Pricing

Starting Price: £87,945

Optional Packages:

M Pro Pack (£7,995) includes carbon-ceramic brakes;

Ultimate Pack (£11,250) adds features like carbon bucket seats

Interior and Technology

Infotainment: 14.9-inch control display with BMW Live Cockpit Professional

Cargo Capacity: 500 litres (seats up)

Chassis and Suspension

Suspension: Adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers

Brakes: M Compound brakes; optional M Carbon ceramic brakes

Wheels: 19-inch front and 20-inch rear alloy wheels