BMW M3 Touring 2023: rear end of hot wagon revealed ahead of 2023 release date

The new G81-chassis M3 Touring harks back to the wagon-bodied E46 M3 concept from 2000

We have already seen hints of what the future BMW M3 Touring could look like thanks to official BMW camouflaged images, but now the rear end of BMW’s hot new estate car has been revealed.

What is shown in the video presented by Hans Rahn and Dirk Hacker of BMW M is a far more aggressive adaptation of the design of a standard 3 Series Touring. On show are wider wheel arches, an aggressive rear splitter, and large quad exhaust tailpipes sure to make an authentic BMW sound.

While the front of the car has not yet been revealed, spy shots suggest that it will wear the same controversial dual-vertical grille seen on the sedan version of the M3, as well as the M4 coupe and convertible.

2023 BMW M3 Touring wide rear shot — Hans Rahn and Dirk Hacker reveal the rear end of the new M3 Touring

The S58 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine from the ‘regular’ BMW M3 and M4 models will likely sit under the bonnet of this new Touring model.

The Touring edition’s drivetrain is yet to be confirmed, however it could be either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

However, consumption figures at the end of the video in line with European regulations suggest that only a Competition-spec xDrive all-wheel system will feature. This means that the car should make 375kW of power and 650Nm of torque and will be exclusively paired to an automatic transmission.

2023 BMW M3 Touring rear with designers — You can see that the wagon has the wide stance of a traditional M car

The BMW M3 Touring is set to go head to head with cars such as the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate and Audi RS4 wagon.

The M3 Touring is not likely to land in Australia until sometime in 2023 while Europe could be set to get the car later in 2022.

What is the history behind the M3 Touring?

BMW came pretty close to building an M3 Touring over 20 years ago with the E46. BMW’s M Division began by taking the existing E46 wagon and turning things up a notch by installing a 3.2-litre straight six engine under the bonnet.

The S54 unit made 252kW/356Nm in standard configuration, which for the time was impressive with its individual throttle bodies and a redline of 8000rpm.

The BMW E46 M3 Touring was close to production but was deemed too costly

Work was done to try and integrate the wider wheel arches of the current E46 M3 onto a wagon body, but unfortunately the project only reached a prototype phase and was not put into production due to the associated costs of converting the wagon body.

That means that the world has never been able to experience a high-performance M3 wagon in the history of BMW M3 which has been on sale since the E30 variant which debuted in 1986.

This makes the upcoming G80 M3 Touring an important car for the brand and one that will likely be very well received by lovers of the wagon body shape.