After the first official spy video with the camouflaged G81 M3 exiting a BMW facility in Germany, we now get to see the first scoops with the long-awaited high-performance wagon out in the wild. The official confirmation that we are finally getting a proper M3 Touring came 2 weeks ago. So there was a matter of time till prototypes hit streets, which just happened this week.
The first spy shots were captured by photographers in Germany, possibly near the BMW M’s Garching headquarters. We don’t own the photos so have a look here.
Set to be officially revealed in 2022, in time for the LCI of the current 3 Series generation, the powerful M3 Touring will adopt the same unique front fascia as the soon-to-be-premiered M4 and M3 Sedan. While many were reluctant to the upright, big kidneys of the G22 4 Series, the grille design reserved for the new M3 and M4 blends in better with the more aggressive style of the M cars.
BMW is no longer afraid to show most of the front fascia, so the huge kidneys with horizontal louvres are fascinating even under a great deal of camouflage. The streamlined headlights with Laser technology further enhance the front end design.
The remaining two thirds of the body are similar to the standard G21 3 Series, but there will be several distinctions, such as the specific M door sills, the M side air breathers, the round quad exhausts and the rear diffuser.
As expected, the first-ever M3 Touring will share powertrain with the new M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe debuting on September 23. The S58 6-cylinder engine will develop 480 PS (473 hp) in standard version and 510 PS (503 hp) in the Competition variant.
It remains to be seen if the new BMW M3 Touring will offer a rear-driven platform paired exclusively with a 6-speed manual tranny, but the M xDrive chassis and the 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox will certainly be available right from the start of sales in 2022.
Yes, the idea of a RWD, manual M3 Touring sounds delicious for most, but I feel that, given the practical facet of the G81, the all-wheel drive is the more suitable and logical choice. The Audi RS4 Avant essentially comes with quattro, and the next generation AMG C63 T-Modell will switch to AWD.
We’ll see how this topic unfolds as new details on the forthcoming M3 Touring emerge.
