Velvet Blue just so happens to be the rumored special color for the M2 CS coming next year. In the meantime, the M3 Touring gets the eye-catching Individual paint job for a dreamy spec of BMW’s excellent all-rounder. The G81 seen here is a newer build considering it has the Life Cycle Impulse, which only the cars built beginning July feature.
The LCI actually arrived unusually early, less than two years since production of the first-ever M3 wagon started in Munich. However, the decision to bring forward the super estate’s refresh makes sense since BMW wanted to align the Touring with the M3 Sedan. As with the G80, there are dozens of Individual hues available for its long-roof sibling. Velvet Blue is one of several color-shifting finishes, depending on how the light hits the car.
It’s a tad easier to configure an M3 Touring over the sedan since BMW only sells the wagon as a Competition model with xDrive. For 2025, there are extra customization options, including a classic silver wheel design (825 M) that this car doesn’t have. Instead, it sticks to the familiar two-tone look for the 826 M alloys. Alternatively, you can have the same set with an all-black look.
You can tell this M3 wagon is an LCI model not just by its redesigned headlights with their arrow-shaped daytime running lights. Look closer and you’ll notice the black badges now have a silver contour. Unlike the bigger M5 Touring G99, you can still open the rear glass independently of the tailgate. Logic tells us this feature is unlikely to be dropped during the G81’s life cycle.
But how much life is there left in the M3 Touring anyway? Since the LCI just came out, we reckon the sports wagon is sticking around for a couple more years. If our sources are accurate, production won’t end until October 2027. Provided that’s true, BMW will likely close the order books by late spring or early summer.
Source: BMW Bilia Luxembourg / Instagram
