It took BMW literally decades to come after the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate and the Audi RS4 Avant but at least the M3 Touring is finally here. Well, not in North America, but in plenty of left- and right-hand-drive markets around the world. Codenamed G81, the super wagon is arguably the most versatile product in the company’s portfolio since it’s all things to all people.
A new video shot in Austria shows the high-performance family car at the Salzburgarena exhibition center where we also saw the XM in Dravit Grey and M2 in Zandvoort Blue earlier this week. Wearing the 50 years of M anniversary roundels, the M3 Touring appears to be painted in Brooklyn Grey with a contrasting glossy black roof to go along with the other dark exterior accents. As a refresher, there’s no carbon fiber roof option available for the fast estate.
This build keeps things simple in terms of the interior by doing away with the M Carbon bucket seats we’re used to seeing on M3 Touring models. Its predominantly black cabin could use a splash of color here and there to match the excitement of the car but to each his own. It does have the optional Aluminum Rhombicle trim on the dashboard and center console, but overall, this is one of the more subdued G81 specifications we’ve seen lately.
For those who can’t afford a family vehicle and a dedicated sports car or simply don’t have enough space for both, the M3 Touring does seem like the perfect compromise. You get all the practicality of the 3 Series Touring with the performance delivered by the S58 inline-six engine. For budget-conscious families, the M340i Touring is the sweet spot of the range since you get pretty much the same amenities and most of the performance at a much lower price tag. Oh, the M Performance model also has a more sensible kidney grille design.
Source: SDA Dan Cars / YouTube
