When BMW M built the G81 M3 Touring, it built it for the rest of the world and left the United States off the list. American buyers asked for it anyway, loudly and repeatedly, and BMW M noticed. That demand is reportedly part of why the next (unconfirmed) M3 Touring is being looked at differently this time around, helped along by how well the M5 Touring has done since BMW finally let America have a fast wagon of its own.
BMW’s Reversal On The 3 Series Touring Matters More
The bigger shift happened one level up, with the regular 3 Series Touring. BMW had been steering the next-generation Touring toward an EV-only future, then backed off. The brand will build both a gas-powered G51 3 Series Touring and a battery electric NA1 3 Series Touring. That decision is what keeps an internal combustion M3 Touring realistic, since the M version typically follows whatever powertrain layout the base car settles on.
Assuming a new M3 Touring gets the green light, and there’s reason to think it will, the harder question is whether BMW M brings the ICE version, the EV version (ZA1), or both to the US. Nobody has to answer that yet. A new M3 Touring built on the next 3 Series Touring platform wouldn’t be ready until 2029 at the earliest, given the development time BMW M typically needs after the standard car arrives.
S58 With Hybrid Assistance and Neue Klasse Styling
If it happens, the next M3 Touring is expected to run a mild hybrid version of the S58 inline six, with at least 520 horsepower on tap. Design-wise, it should carry the Neue Klasse M design language that BMW previewed on the M Concept Neue Klasse, rather than sticking with the current G8x M3’s look.
None of this is locked in. BMW is making these calls while dealing with shifting trade politics and customer preferences that look different in nearly every region it sells cars, and plans drawn up today can look dated by 2029. But for the US specifically, the case for an ICE M3 Touring is about as strong as it’s ever been.
[Renderings by Theottle]
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
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