2023 BMW M3 Touring revealed, confirmed for Australia

The 2023 BMW M3 Touring has been revealed, ahead of an Australian launch due in the first quarter of 2023 (January to March).

Two decades after a one-off ‘E46’ M3 Touring was built by BMW, the first series-production M3 estate has been unveiled, fusing the latest ‘G80’ M3 sedan’s mechanicals with the standard 'G21' 3 Series Touring’s long-roof body.

Whereas the sedan can be had in three drivetrain configurations – with rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission – the 'G81' M3 Touring is available exclusively in high-output Competition trim, with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

The Competition badge bestows the first M3 wagon – or to give it its full name, M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive – with 375kW and 650Nm from a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged ‘S58’ inline six-cylinder.

BMW claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.6 seconds (one tenth slower than the sedan), a 0-200km/h time of 12.9 seconds, and a top speed of 250km/h as standard, or 280km/h with the M Driver's Package.

Its M xDrive all-wheel-drive system is shared with its sedan sibling, with a choice of a standard 4WD mode, 4WD Sport (which shifts more power to the rear), and a 2WD setting that disconnects the front axle and disables stability control.

The M3 Touring benefits from a unique tune for its adaptive suspension – designed to account for the additional weight over the rear axle – complementing stiffer springs, and a spread of drive modes from Comfort to Sport Plus.

Carry-over performance items from the M3 Competition xDrive sedan include variable sports steering, a limited-slip rear differential, aluminium under-body bracing, and a multi-stage M Traction Control system.

Filling the arches are 19-inch front and 20-inch alloy wheels in an M3 Touring-specific forged design, wrapped in 275/35 front and 285/30 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. "Track tyres" are available as an option.

Standard-fit are six-piston front and single-piston rear M Compound brakes – likely with 380mm front and 370mm rear discs, per the M3 sedan – which can be upgraded to carbon-ceramic discs as an option (likely 400mm front and 380mm rear).

The M3 Touring’s styling is as the model name suggests: a high-performance M version of the 3 Series Touring, incorporating the M3 sedan’s unique front and rear ends, side skirts, four exhaust tips and bonnet.

Compared to the standard 3 Series Touring, it's 85mm longer due to the new bumpers, 4mm lower, and 76mm wider thanks to blistered rear wheel arches designed to house the M3 sedan’s wider rear axle.

The roof is painted in black no matter which body colour is selected – though a body-coloured roof is optional – as are the black roof rails, and the M3 Touring-specific 'Gurney flap' on the top of its rear spoiler.

Inside, the M3 Touring benefits from the 2023 M3 sedan’s new iDrive 8 dashboard, incorporating a 14.9-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital instrument display into one curved panel.

Other interior highlights include carbon-fibre interior inlays, an M-specific gear selector and drive mode button array, and M1 and M2 badges on the M3-specific steering wheel.

Front occupants sit in standard power-adjustable M Sport seats, trimmed in Merino leather with heating and memory – with M Carbon bucket seats available as an option, which claim to save 9.6kg through carbon-fibre reinforced plastic used in their backrests.

Boot space? There's 500 litres behind the rear seats, which expands to 1510 litres with the 40:20:40 bench folded.

A hands-free power tailgate, under-floor storage space, a luggage net, a rear window that opens separately, and automatically-rising 'anti-slip' rails to support cargo are all standard.

Other standard features will include tri-zone climate control, ambient interior lighting, auto-dimming mirrors, and the Driving Assistant Professional of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, parking sensors, lane-centring assistant, automatic parking and traffic light detection.

The 2023 BMW M3 Touring will arrive in Australia as soon as early next year, with pricing to be confirmed closer to launch.