New 2022 BMW M3 Touring: pricing, specifications and on sale date
BMW’s new M3 Touring looks to shake up the fast estate segment with 503bhp and 650Nm of torque
It’s finally here, the long-awaited Touring version of the much-loved BMW M3. It comes as the BMW M division celebrates its 50th anniversary and it goes on sale in September, ahead of production starting in November. BMW says UK pricing will start from £80,550, which is £2,375 more than the M3 saloon equivalent.
BMW M fans were teased with the possibility of an estate M3 back in 2000. The German firm produced a one-off concept Touring version of the E46 M3, which was a technical exercise for M engineers, rather than a serious exploration into a practical bodystyle for the then coupe and convertible-only performance icon.
Since then, the M3 has become a saloon, while the coupé and convertible models have adopted the M4 badge. Now, the estate version is finally here, and it has the Audi RS 4 Avant firmly in its sights.
The 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed was the first time we saw the new M3 Touring in public, and BMW has identified the UK as a key market for the M3 Touring, second only to Germany in terms of predicted sales. With the most recent generation of M cars, the UK has only taken the higher power, high-spec Competition versions over the base models offered elsewhere. But there’s no alternative for the M3 Touring in any country, because it’s built as a Competition model from the ground up.
Ahead of sales commencing, the M3 Touring has made its track debut at Silverstone, during the 2022 British MotoGP round. Two cars were on show - an M3 Touring in Frozen Black was joined by the official M3 Touring MotoGP Safety Car - decked out in M Performance Parts. This year also marks 20 years of BMW M’s partnership with MotoGP. To celebrate this milestone, the fastest qualifier for the year will receive an M3 Touring Competition.
Under the bonnet of the M3 Touring is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six developing 503bhp and 650Nm torque, with a redline of 7,200rpm. That power gets to the road via an eight-speed automatic gearbox and xDrive four-wheel drive. BMW claims 0-62mph takes 3.6 seconds, which is just one tenth of a second slower than the M3 Competition xDrive saloon. Top speed, as ever, is electronically limited to 155mph, with the option to raise this to 174mph by selecting the optional M Driver’s Package.
The visual transformation compared with the 3 Series Touring includes the addition of the vertical kidney grilles, an aggressive bodykit, wider wheelarches and a large diffuser featuring a quad exhaust set-up.
There are plenty of optional carbon-fibre trim elements and lightweight, forged alloy wheels measuring 19 inches up front and 20 inches at the rear, behind which sit larger brakes. Carbon-ceramic discs are available as an option, but the brand’s adaptive M suspension is standard fit.
Boot space matches that of the standard 3 Series Touring. With all seats in place, the M3 Touring can take 500 litres of luggage, while folding the rear bench increases this to 1,510 litres. The M3 Touring retains the standard car’s novel tailgate glass, which can be opened independently.
Inside, the M3 Touring adopts the updated interior of the newly facelifted 3 Series, complete with an M division makeover. The brand’s new ‘Curved Display’ infotainment and instrumentation system is used, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel seamlessly combining with a 14.9-inch central touchscreen.
M Sport seats are standard, but carbon fibre-backed bucket seats are available as an option. Merino leather upholstery is standard, too, but full leather in four different shades is also available.
BMW Performance Parts for the M3 Touring
As with the M3 saloon, M3 Touring buyers are able to garnish it with the M Performance Parts package, adding visual and performance tweaks.
On the outside the canards on the front bumper, flicks on the side skirt and rear bumper, mirror caps, air breather on the wing, rear spoiler, antenna cover and even the fuel filler cap are clad in carbon fibre. Forged wheels come in either Frozen Gold or Jet Black in either 19- and 20-inch or 20- and 21-inch sizes.
Inside the pack adds carbon fibre for the steering wheel and gearshift paddles. Alcantara is found on the M Performance armrest and kneepads. There are also unique M Performance logos for the door projectors.
At the rear we see the same diagonally-stacked quad exhaust layout as the M Performance M3 saloon with titanium tips. It features new routing to amplify the engine noise and is around seven kilograms lighter than the standard system.
Performance tweaks aren’t limited to the exhaust as there’s new coilover suspension with the M Performance package. The damping doesn’t change but the new system allows the ground clearance to be continuously adjusted by between 5mm and 20mm.
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