50th anniversary of BMW M GmbH celebrated with this M3 Touring
Its been 50 years since BMW ‘M’ delivered its first car to a lucky customers and since then the ‘M’ badge has become as popular as the LV badge for car buyers around the world.
The ‘M’ badge today sits with BMW vehicles that have nothing more than alloy wheels and skid plates installed and buyers in ASIA will pay a premium to be behind the wheel of these vehicles.
This is the brand strength of BMW M and it gets further appreciated with this brand new M3 Touring which is also means it is a sports wagon. Yes, a BMW wagon with proper ‘M’ infused performance engineering to deliver a driving experience almost similar to the M3 coupe.
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 3.6 seconds and the sprint from 0 to 200 km/h requires just 12.9 seconds. Opting for the M Driver’s Package increases the electronically limited top speed from 250 km/h to 280 km/h. This is possible because of its 510hp engine that delivers a peak torque of 650Nm.
The BMW M3 Touring is the fourth model type in the high-performance M3/M4 range, following in the tyre tracks of the Sedan, Coupé and Convertible. It will be produced alongside the BMW M3 Sedan variants at BMW Group Plant Munich.
The new car provides renewed evidence that BMW M GmbH’s expertise in the development of emotionally compelling vehicle concepts is alive and well in its 50th anniversary year.
The BMW M3 Touring is geared to the needs and desires of a target audience looking for more in many different areas: more power, more performance, more emotionality, but also more practicality.
PRESS RELEASE: The BMW M3 Touring allows these enthusiasts to clearly express their passion for motor sport not just on selected occasions, but in almost any situation presented by everyday motoring.
M-typical design with distinctive accents
The exterior design of the BMW M3 Touring reflects the motor sportinspired character of the M3/M4 line-up in its own individual style. Like the Sedan, the Touring variant can be clearly differentiated from the BMW 3 Series variant that provides the basis for the M car.
Cleanly designed surfaces and powerfully sculpted forms signal the standout performance potential of the BMW M3 Touring, as do the M-specific design features firmly invested in the functional requirements of cooling air routing and aerodynamic balance. Out of this emerges an extravagant and emotionally stirring aesthetic that marks the BMW M3 Touring out clearly from its segment rivals.
The BMW M3 Touring brings model-specific tweaks to the design of the base car’s roof and rear end – both defining areas of the new variant. This gives the M3 Touring a standalone visual identity within the model range and beyond.
Like its surface treatment, the proportions of the BMW M3 Touring underscore the car’s striking dynamic aura. It is 85 millimetres longer externally than the BMW 3 Series Touring, at 4,794 millimetres, 76 millimetres wider (1,903 millimetres) and four millimetres lower (1,436 millimetres). It also has particularly large light-alloy wheels – 19-inch at the front axle, 20-inch at the rear.
The M-specific forged wheels in double-spoke design come as standard in Jet Black or optionally in bi-colour Jet Black with diamond polished spoke and rim flange faces. Added to which, M forged wheels in the same sizes and with a distinctive double-spoke design can also be specified as an option – in either bi-colour Jet Black or Orbit Grey matt.
M-specific BMW kidney grille, large air intakes, prominently flared wheel arches and side skirts
Its M-specific front end ensures that the Touring is immediately recognisable as a member of the M3 model family. At its centre is the vertical BMW kidney grille dropping down deep towards the road, which is frameless and finished all in black. Its horizontally arranged M-typical double bars carry a “M3 Competition” badge.
In addition, the large side intakes positioned in the lower section of the front apron optimise the supply of cooling air to the drive components and braking system. The apertures are each split into two sections and have honeycomb mesh covers. Inlets for the air curtains – positioned at the outer extremes of the front end – with integrated “flics” enhance aerodynamics and accentuate the width of the car.
Full-LED headlights with U-shaped fibre-optic light guides for the daytime driving lights are part of standard specification for the BMW M3 Touring. The optional BMW Laserlight can be identified by the blue inlays inside the headlight units.
It includes the cornering light and adaptive cornering functions with variable road illumination optimised for urban and motorway driving, plus the BMW Selective Beam nondazzling High-beam Assistant.
At speeds above 60 km/h (37 mph), BMW Laserlight increases high-beam range to a maximum 550 metres and follows the course of the road dynamically. BMW Individual lights Shadow Line, with darkened inlays adorning their upper edges, are also on the options list.
When viewed from the side, the distinctive, dynamically stretched proportions of the Touring blend with its prominently flared wheel arches, characteristic M gills and extended side skirts.
Together with the attachment parts for the front and rear aprons, which also jut out significantly, the sills form a Black high-gloss band around the whole of the car. This racing car-inspired body element teams up with the front spoiler lip, aero flics for the air curtains and brace covers in the underbody area to enhance the car’s aerodynamic balance. The exterior mirrors in M-specific design with a Black high-gloss painted finish also play their part in optimising airflow.
Pure-bred racing ambience provides an intense M feeling
The progressive style of the cockpit design combines with M-specific design features including red colour accents for the M buttons on the M leather steering wheel and the Start/Stop button on the centre console. The gear selector lever with Drivelogic switch has a leather surface with embedded M logo and stitching in BMW M GmbH colours. It also features an eye-catching cut-out with integrated cascade lighting.
The car’s sports car authenticity is further enhanced by an anthracitecoloured BMW M headliner and interior trim strips in Black high-gloss as standard. Elements in Aluminium Rhombicle Anthracite and Carbon Fibre high-gloss, plus BMW Individual interior trim in Piano Black or Aluminium weave, are offered as options.
Merino leather trim is part of standard specification for the BMW M3 Touring. Like the optional Merino full-leather trim, it is available in four colour variants. BMW Individual Merino leather trim with extended features and BMW Individual Merino full-leather trim are also available in their own range of colours.
All trim variants can be combined with either the standard M Sport seats or the optional M Carbon bucket seats. The full-leather trim variants also include black knee pads for the centre console.
M TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder in-line engine, eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and M xDrive all-wheel-drive system deliver smile-inducing dynamics
The powertrain technology in the BMW M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive has been engineered for the sole purpose of delivering supremely assured performance. Its extremely powerful engine places it among the model range’s Competition variants.
No compromises are made either when it comes to channelling that power to the road in a way that maximises traction, directional stability and dynamic prowess. The 375 kW/510 hp six-cylinder in-line engine and eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic team up with the M xDrive allwheel- drive system for the job at hand.
This configuration underpins a high-intensity, compelling performance experience on both the road and the track, combined with outstanding everyday usability and all-weather capabilities.
The engine under the bonnet of the BMW M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive brings together the latest M TwinPower Turbo technology with a traditional high-revving approach to its work, resulting in the performance characteristics for which M models are famed. The eight-speed M Steptronic transmission’s Drivelogic function allows the driver to alter the gearshift characteristics, while the M-specific version of the intelligent all-wheel-drive system also offers a choice between various forms of power transmission, including pure rear-wheel drive.
Six-cylinder in-line engine with instantaneous power delivery and free-revving spirit
The 3.0-litre six-cylinder in-line unit stands out with its urgent power delivery and a healthy appetite for revs that continues unabated into the highest reaches of the engine speed range.
These qualities give the engine the unmistakable skillset that defines the performance experience in BMW M models – with linear power delivery its standout characteristic. The engine puts maximum torque of 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) on tap between 2,750 and 5,500 rpm and produces peak output of 375 kW/510 hp when the revs hit 6,250 rpm. Its red line is 7,200 rpm.
The straight-six engine powering the BMW M3 Touring also forms the basis for the drive unit in the new BMW M4 GT3 endurance racing car. Its power output, efficiency and track ability are therefore partly down to numerous components developed on the back of BMW M GmbH’s many years of racing experience. These include an extremely rigid crankcase with a sleeve-free, closed-deck construction, a forged lightweight crankshaft and a cylinder head whose core was manufactured using 3D printing. Two mono-scroll turbochargers with electronically controlled wastegates supply compressed air to the combustion chambers. An indirect intercooler supplied by a low-temperature circuit increases the effectiveness of the turbocharger unit. And the direct petrol injection technology operates at pressures of up to 350 bar with exceptional precision and efficiency. VALVETRONIC variable valve timing and Double-VANOS fully variable camshaft timing likewise form part of the M TwinPower Turbo technology.
Like the cooling, the oil supply system has been designed to handle extremely dynamic driving situations during track use. An additional suction stage allows the map-controlled oil pump to draw lubricant from the smaller chamber, which steps in when extra capacity is needed. The M-specific exhaust system with electrically controlled flaps generates an emotionally rich soundtrack, providing an acoustic showcase for the engine’s free-revving performance and linear build-up of power. It terminates in a large silencer, from which the exhaust gases escape via a quartet of tailpipes in customary BMW M fashion.
The engine’s signature M performance profile, combined with the enhanced traction offered by M xDrive, translates into stunning acceleration times. The BMW M3 Touring takes just 3.6 seconds to power from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) and 12.9 seconds to reach 200 km/h (124 mph) from rest. The midrange sprint from 80 to 120 km/h (50 – 75 mph) is over in 2.7 seconds (in 4th gear) or 3.5 seconds (in 5th gear). Opting for the M Driver’s Package increases the electronically limited top speed from 250 km/h (155 mph) to 280 km/h (174 mph).
