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► New BMW M3 Touring Competition review► 503bhp, 479lb ft, 0-62mph in 3.6sec
► The most usable M3 ever made?
Hallelujah! BMW has finally gone and released the car we’ve all been crying out for. Yes, we’ve been waiting at least three decades for an estate M3. And here’s a predictable spoiler alert for you – the new BMW M3 Touring Competition is a sizzling family wagon that’ll embarrass far more flamboyant machinery in those moments where you just want to have some fun.
First, a confession. Since hitting 50, I’ve gone a bit cold on supercars. Don’t get me wrong, I love stomach-clenching acceleration, limpet-like grip and a searing soundtrack, but the theatre and lack of basic practicalities you’ll find in a £25,000 Golf can be beyond tedious. Let’s also face it, unless you live within shouting distance of the Cairngorns, and are able to use one of its fabulous Old Military Roads for your commute, the opportunities to stretch its legs are few and far between.
That’s why I find compact super-estates so compelling. Since the Audi RS2 Avant blasted onto the scene in 1994, you’ve been able to have it all – supercar-baiting acceleration, with compact family car practicality. Yes, BMW has been able to supply you with an M5 Touring (first in E34 form and in left-hand drive only, and then as the V10-powered E61), but as for the M3, nada.
That left the market for a mid-sized super-estate open to Audi with the RS4 Avant and Mercedes-Benz with the C63 AMG, and M3 enthusiasts left with no choice but to go to Alpina…
M3 Touring sets the record straight
So now, finally you can buy a G81 BMW M3 Touring and all is right with the world. Considered as a 50th birthday present to itself by BMW’s M Division, it has a quality that both the G80 M3 saloon and related G82 M4 coupe struggle with – visual appeal. We’ve all strong opinions on what BMW’s been doing to its double kidneys recently, but for the M3, all blacked-out and punctuated by a number plate, the shock of it is watered down, thankfully.
Walking round, you’ll more likely be impressed by the relationship between its wheels and gently distended bodywork, the low ride height, and the profusion of slashes, vents and expensive-looking aerodynamic addenda. By the time you get to the rear, you’ll have forgotten the nose and instead be impressed by how cohesive this aggressive, hunkered estate car looks.
So, let’s move on from the nose, please. Styling is subjective, anyway.
How much? How fast?
The first thing to say is that you can only buy an M3 Touring in the UK in Competition form. And with a starting price north of £80,000, it’s going to be for the select few, and not really something you’ll want to drag down to the beach and have your wet dog in the boot. Factor in options, and you’ll quite easily spaff more than £100,000 on one. Our test car, for instance, weighs in at £103,000.
In a world of super-fast EVs such as the Kia EV6 GT or Tesla Model 3 Performance, the M3 Touring’s maximum power and torque figures of 503bhp and 479lb ft no longer have the wow factor they might have done once upon a time. But for an ICE car that you can throw your stepladders in the back, that’s still mighty impressive. And you won’t be tethered to your home’s wallbox, or hobbled by the need to public charge.
The 0-62mph dash is cranked out in 3.6 seconds and the maximum speed nudges 180mph – if you specify the M Sport Pro Package, and that’s enough to keep you more than amused. Traction off the line is excellent, too – it just squats and vaults forward relentlessly.
Most impressively is that power delivery is not peaky at all, with its S58 straight-six turbo pulling hard and strong from low revs and in a near-linear fashion. There’s some throttle lag below 2500rpm, but it’s negligible really, and the transmission compensates if you’re not shuffling it yourself. The trade-off is the sheer energy at the top end, urging you on to wring it out all the way to 7600rpm and coming back for more. The downside? It’s so quick that you’ll only really encounter this as a repeatable phenomenon on track.
BMW’s done a great job with the M3 Touring’s soundtrack, too. Yes, it’s digitally augmented, but the straight-six wail is present and correct, with the electronically controlled exhaust flaps adding to the drama when they open up. It’s just a shame that it sounds like a garage compressor when you fire it up from cold, and there’s no option to quieten things right down for those early-morning getaways. In that, you can’t beat an EV or PHEV.
BMW M3 Touring review: what’s it like to drive?
The first thing to consider is this car’s portliness. At nearly two tonnes, weight management is going to be a constant factor when driving the M3 Touring quickly. The good news is that the stiff suspension and beautifully-judged damping work so well that making allowances for this become second nature. In reality, you log the weight and move on – it’s agile and blessed with a front-end with bite, all meted out by communicative, meaty and direct steering. Confidence inspiring.
It works particularly well on the tight and medium-speed corners typically encountered on UK B-roads. Just feed in, point at the apex, and power out of the other side. It’s here that the lateral grip and sheer amount of traction will allow you to riotously overcome any weight-induced understeer. Ham-fisted drivers could make an M3 Touring wash wide, but its natural attitude is neutral, with a trace of rear-end push. It’s worth saying that it lacks the last 10% of poise and speed of a standard M3 saloon or M4 coupe, but you’ll need cajones to explore that on the road.
Oversteer? Yeah, it’s there if you probe hard, but that’s for the track. Sessions with the M Drift Analyser are not really going to be a thing on the North Coast 500, let alone the B660. Because ultimately, it might be billed as a compact executive car, but the M3 Touring feels a tad too large for comfortable squirting down B-roads at velocity. Besides, as good as it is, the transition from neutrality to oversteer is lightning fast, with a tiny window of opportunity, especially in damp and cold conditions.
What’s it like to live with?
Putting aside its undoubted performance, the rest of the M3 Touring experience is pretty much pure 3-Series. On the motorway schlep, its refined and quiet, and the adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers serves up a solid, reassuring ride that reminds you that this is a performance car without getting on your nerves.
There’s room for four adults in the cabin, and the boot is a large enough to swallow your holiday luggage without resorting to a roofbox (like so many SUVs seem to need). We’d forego the optional Clubsport carbon bucket seats – they’re just showing off and seem a bit OTT in a family wagon. Also, it might just be me, but as functional as the infotainment set-up is, the onscreen graphics are garish – especially the digital instruments.
Fuel consumption? We averaged 22.3mpg in testing, which included much low-speed driving to keep the averages realistic.
BMW M3 Touring review: the verdict
The new 2023 BMW M3 Touring Competition confidently, effortlessly saunters in and settles down at the head of the estate car class. The Audi RS4 Avant, as appealing as it is, does not have the steering or brakes to live with the M3 Touring, so let’s move on.
It’s a frighteningly competent all-rounder and is more than capable of carting around the family during the week and being a riot on trackdays at the weekend. You’ll be paying for that exuberance in tyres and brakes, because anything that weighs 1940kg is going to go through consumables at quite a rate.
But using it in anger with all that power, torque, and grip is a narcotic experience – even if that’s going to be fleeting. Yes, it can be magical in the right circumstances, but they’re so rare on this crowded island, that I’d struggle to justify an M3 Touring. Does it really offer enough magic over an M340i? That’s down to you – I’m just glad this car exists.
Keyword: BMW M3 Touring review: the ferocious family wagon