Remember when we talked about the BMW M3 Touring coming to the United States? Well, it’s finally here in all of its long-roof glory. Before you get too excited, the G81 isn’t going on sale in North America. Instead, the aftermarket specialists at dÄHLer have decided to ship it over to the US for the KIES Auto Show that took place last weekend at the Atco Raceway in New Jersey.
Eagle-eyed viewers will notice there’s no license plate on the car, and that’s because the family-friendly M3 can’t be legally driven in the US. Naturally, the G81 was decked out with dÄHLer upgrades, even though the car isn’t for sale in the country. While that may seem a bit weird, the wagon isn’t really all that different from the G80 M3 Sedan you can buy stateside, so many of the goodies are compatible. One of the most notable upgrades is the exhaust system, lending the inline-six a raspy soundtrack that can be altered courtesy of a valve control system by using a remote.
This G81 also happens to have a suspension lowering kit to bring the car closer to the road on custom 21-inch forged wheels on low-profile Michelin tires. Not only that but Switzerland-based dÄHLer also worked on the twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine to extract 612 horsepower or roughly an extra 100 ponies compared to the standard car. As a refresher, BMW sells the M3 Touring exclusively as a Competition version with the higher specification of the S58 engine and all-wheel drive.
Shipped all the way from Switzerland, the performance wagon painted in Skyscraper Grey has Silverstone/Black leather. BMW doesn’t offer a carbon fiber roof option on the M3 Touring as only the M3 Sedan (and even the M340i/M340d Sedan) can be ordered with the lightweight panel.
Although this car will remain a forbidden fruit, Americans can take comfort from knowing the bigger M5 Touring (G99) will be available after its world premiere at some point in 2024.
Source: What’s your Forte? / YouTube
