Given the popularity of uber-estates over the past 20 years, with the likes of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 and the Audi RS 4 and 6 presenting an alluring combination of potent performance and practicality, it is surprising that BMW’s M division has been somewhat reluctant to produce its own variant. It did have a couple of stabs with the M5 (E61 and E34 generations), but its icon, the M3, has until now been bereft of a Touring variant.
Finally, the company has delivered what aficionados have been craving – and thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint. The M3 Competition Touring has a character all of its own, and contrary to many of the current crop of M cars, it manages to combine punishing performance with what can only be described as a playful demeanor.
As is the way these days, you can tailor the M3 to your every wish, with engine, transmission, braking, steering and suspension settings all adjustable. There are also various means to disable the stability and traction control systems to whatever level takes your fancy. Most importantly, although the default setting for the transmission is AWD, it is possible to run it as a pure RWD.
For the majority of UK roads, a happy medium seems to be a combination of ‘comfort’ settings for the chassis and brakes with the powertrain and steering turned up a notch to sport. The result is a car that is delightfully adjustable when pushing on, yet still engaging when not going 10 tenths. On damp surfaces the rear bias of the chassis is clear, but BMW M has deployed a deft touch with the electronics programming: unobtrusive while still gathering everything up before things get out of hand.
Of course, you can switch everything off and select RWD when conditions allow. Even fully unleashed, the chassis remains progressive and well matched to the turbocharged six’s delivery. BMW’s engineers have done an admirable job of hiding the Touring’s undeniable bulk (1,865kg) and, subjectively at least, it really does feel like a more accessible and nimbler package than the M4.
With all the option boxes ticked, as was the case with our test car, you get carbon-ceramic brakes and a slathering of carbon, including the rather OTT but very supportive carbon bucket seats. The carbon-ceramic brakes are a must-have, providing great feel (unlike some manufacturers’ carbon options) and the confidence to really extend the engine and chassis.
All said and done, the result is a £100,000 (around US$120,000 in the USA) 3 Series, but as an overall package the M3 Touring is hard to beat: easy to live with day-to-day yet still a thoroughbred M car when you want it to be.
Vital Statistics
Cylinders: 6
Cubic capacity: 2,993cc
Bore/stroke: 84mm/90mm
Compression ratio: 9.3:1
Power output: 502.9hp
Torque: 650Nm