If there is one car that many BMW M purists would like to see then it has to be the M3 Touring, or Sports Wagon, as we’d call it on this side of the pond. Despite having a great platform to work on, the M honchos in Garching have not been able to build a strong case for the utilitarian M3, so dreams have been shattered with every generation M3. Yet, that hasn’t stopped BMW fans from around the world from coming up with their own custom projects mimicking the M3 Touring on the F8x platform.
Many have dubbed their projects F81 M3 Touring, just like Nick, the owner of this project, which started life as BMW 320d xDrive Touring. Along with the ///M bodykit, Nick has also fitted his 3 Series with a series of aftermarket upgrades, courtesy of Evolve Automotive, Eventuri and 6Sixty Design
The owner swapped in the S55 engine from the M3/M4, which is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 that typically producing 424-493 horsepower and 406-444 pound-feet of torque. He ordered Eventuri intakes and a Stage 2 turbo upgrade, and remapped the engine tune. Now this touring outputs a reported 530 horsepower. This unofficial BMW M3 Touring is now more powerful than the M3 CS, which takes 3.9sec to reach 100km/h (62mph), and maxes out at 280km/h (173mph).
Other upgrades consist of the M3/M4 Competition Package, the carbon fiber hood from the M4 GTS, a carbon fiber roof, an M Performance Exhaust system, KW Suspension and a set of custom wheels from 6Sixty Design. Even the instrument cluster has been changed out for an M3 one and it looks like an Awron gauge was installed as well, to help keep an eye on the car’s key parameters.
The end result is a stunning custom F81 M3 Touring, a car that most BMW enthusiasts would love to have in their garage. We might not love Sports Wagons in the U.S., but we would sure love this one.
