Update: This was an April 1 type of article, in case that did not come across through the article. Is BMW having a change of heart? After confirming to us that the new BMW M3 Touring won’t be coming to the United States, a prototype of the very same car was spotted out in the open in the hilly countryside outside of San Luis Obispo, CA this week. The camouflage car points to a BMW M3 Touring prototype which is certainly not surprising considering that BMW operates a testing center in Oxnard, California.
Sporting a collection of parts from the G80 M3 and the F80 M3 platform, this prototype does appears to have a wider-than-expected front track. Furthermore, judging by new spy videos, the engine does not sound like the S55 we are accustomed to. So what’s really hiding under the camouflage of this first-ever BMW M3 Touring? Is BMW indeed bringing the M3 Touring to the U.S.? Will it have a hybrid powertrain? Are Americans finally ready to ditch SUVs and embrace the charm of wagons?
What’s even more interesting is that this prototype features the design of the future M3 Facelift which will now ditch the cooking grille for the beloved and iconic BMW kidneys.
There are a lot of unanswered questions, but it is certainly exciting to see that online petitions can change BMW’s mind. The power of the social media never fails and even corporate strategies can be changed with a single tweet. Of course, we’ve reached out to BMW of North America and as always, they will almost certainly confirm to the media their future plans. We also expect to see their full product roadmap landing in our email inbox shortly, so stay tuned!
In the mean time, enjoy these spy photos of the BMW M3 Touring (U.S. Edition), courtesy of @touringm3.
