The BMW M3 Touring offers (almost) supercar levels of speed for the whole family to enjoy. The G81 is limited from the factory to 155 mph (250 km/h). However, if you ask BMW nicely, it’ll raise that limiter to 174 mph (280 km/h) with the optional M Driver’s Package. That’s still not the true top speed, as the super wagon remains electronically governed even after the upgrade.
A new video shot on an unrestricted section of the Autobahn in Germany shows what an uncorked M3 Touring is capable of at full tilt. Granted, this car has undergone some work since it received a stage 1 upgrade. The inline-six, twin-turbo, 3.0-liter engine runs on new software, and so does the ZF eight-speed, torque-converter automatic transmission. In addition, the G81 has a custom intake along with an upgraded exhaust.
During the first run, the M3 Touring managed to smash the 300-km/h barrier by hitting 314 km/h or 195 mph. In the subsequent run, it was even faster, reaching the magical 200-mph mark. During the high-speed run, it reached 324 km/h or 201 mph. At that point, it didn’t seem to have any more speed left to unlock. Even so, that’s substantially higher than the ALPINA B3 Touring, which can “only” muster 188 mph (302 km/h).
To be fair, modern speedometers tend to show a higher speed than the actual velocity, so the M3 Touring wasn’t that fast. Nevertheless, a wagon that comfortably passes 186 mph (300 km/h) is downright impressive. The new M5 Touring G99 reaches 190 mph (305 km/h) without modifications, as long as it’s equipped with the M Driver’s Package. Tuners might be able to make it even faster. We should find out at some point next year since deliveries of the G99 won’t start until November 2024.
BMW has a hardcore M3 Touring on the way. The Competition Sport (CS) debuts in 2025 with more power and other goodies. It should be a tad faster seeing as how the M3 CS Sedan will outrun the M3 Competition xDrive model upon which it’s based.
Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube
