Competition power and xDrive sole options for BMW M3 Touring

M3 Touring will be an M3 first and also BMW's first since the E60 M5.

The controversial 4 Series derived grille of the new BMW M3 Competition.

Having made the long awaited announcement last year in addition to backing it up with a teaser image, a recent report has revealed more details of the incoming BMW M3 Touring.

Munich’s first M-powered estate since the V10 E60 M5, and the first in the M3’s history, the newcomer will take aim at the Audi RS4 Avant and according to the BMW Blog, citing a report from the bimmerpost online forum, will be more equal than expected.

Supposedly set to enter production in November next year, which could well be proven otherwise, the Touring will only be offered in Competition guise according to the report, meaning the standard inclusion of the xDrive all-wheel-drive system and the eight-speed Steptronic gearbox.

Mirroring the same configuration as the RS4 Avant, the Touring, whose supposed availability in Competition guise only comes as an unexpected surprise, will therefore produce 375kW/650Nm from the twin-turbocharged S58 3.0-litre straight-six engine, a gain of 44kW/50Nm over Ingolstadt’s offering.

The most interesting aspect though is that the unveiling of the Touring will reportedly coincide with the reveal of the facelifted M3 and M4, which equates to a comparatively short two year production run.

It however means that the Touring will be equipped from the off with the same dual-display as the controversial iX, which will be expanded to include not only the M3 sedan and M4, but more than likely other BMW models as well.

In spite of the M3 and M4 Competition being confirmed for South Africa from the first half of this year, the future of the Touring is unknown. Given the availability of the RS4 Avant though, chances are that BMW South Africa could offer the M3 Touring locally, but only from 2023 unless proven otherwise.

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