The capable, useful, and fashionable 3-series Sports Wagon is the only wagon offered by BMW in the United States. However, act quickly since after the 2019 model year, the 3-series wagon will no longer be sold in the United States.
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The uber wagon that fans have yearned for for decades is now a reality.
There have been sedans, coupes, convertibles, and even a pickup truck in the more than 30 years that the BMW M3 has been produced. (If you don’t trust us, look it up on Google.) Yet there’s a shape the M3 has never used. A factory-built BMW M3 Touring is what we would refer to as a station wagon. That has now changed. In addition to the four-door sedan and closely comparable two-door M4, BMW has officially confirmed that the G80-generation BMW M3 will also receive a wagon model.
Thankfully, it’s not April 1 yet, and it seems like BMW is committed to creating an M3 wagon. Hardcore BMW enthusiasts will get all riled up at news like this and wear their M-branded underwear in a bunch. To be fair, we’re also really pumped about the prospect of an M3 wagon. Currently, the M3 will include a switchable AWD system similar to the one found in the M5, a 3.0-liter twin turbo inline-six engine that produces something in the vicinity of 500 horsepower, and the option for a manual transmission. We are aware of that, however we are unsure of whether BMW will offer it for sale in the country.
Wagons are once again being offered by the majority of luxury manufacturers, but they tend to be raised, Subaru Outback-inspired vehicles. (See the brand-new Mercedes-Benz E450 All Terrain, Volvo V90 Cross Country, and Audi A6 Allroad.) However, prominent exceptions are the powerful 603-hp Mercedes-AMG E63S wagon, Audi RS6, and Porsche Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo S E-Hybrid. Despite this, Mercedes has particularly high levels of customer loyalty from its wagon customers (AMG or otherwise), who frequently rank among the wealthiest of the brand. In addition, wagons are only available by special order.
Wagons are not available here from BMW. While the 3 Series wagon had previously been sold in the United States, the current model of the 3er with a long roof isn’t offered to customers in this country. So, once more, will the long-awaited M3 wagon arrive in the US? With our fingers crossed, we contacted BMW for comment, but, uh, no. The M3 Touring won’t be arriving.
The M3 Station Wagon We’ve Always Wanted Is the BMW M3 Touring
The brand-new BMW M3 Touring, the first production BMW M3 station wagon, has changed all of that as of today.
Of course, the capacity to fit more items in the trunk is the main benefit of selecting the M3 Touring. 17.7 cubic feet of luggage can fit in the back with all five seats filled; if the back seat is folded down, there is more than 53 cubic feet of luggage space available. Additionally, the back bench folds 40:20:40, allowing you to lower the seat as much or as little as necessary to accommodate whatever you’re hauling.
Of course, it also has positive aesthetic effects. Although choosing the extended roof version doesn’t change the current M3 and M4’s Angry Birds pig face, it does smooth out and emphasize the car’s rear half, giving it a sleeker, more aggressive appearance that draws the eye in a manner the sedan arguably can’t match.
For those unfamiliar with BMW M terminology, the M3 Touring is only available in M3 Competition form, which means it is equipped with the car’s most potent turbocharged inline-six, which produces 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, and sends that power to all four wheels via a M-tuned all-wheel-drive system.
The BMW M3 Touring is not intended for American consumers, which shouldn’t be shocking. Since the 3 Series wagon and 5 Series wagon have both left our shores, BMW no longer sells station wagons in this country. The 3 Series wagon lasted until the 2019 model year.
According to BMW’s management, homologating the M3 Touring on its own for the US market would be prohibitively expensive. Without other, less potent models to share the homologation burden with (as Audi does with the RS 6 Avant and A6 Allroad, and Mercedes does with the E63 and the E 450 All-Terrain), it would simply be “cost prohibitive,” a BMW spokesperson told BMWBlog.
However, if you start saving now, you might be able to pay the shipping fees to bring one over from Germany when it reaches the required age to be imported after 25 years. In that case, I’ll see you in 2047 on Bring a Trailer.
E46 BMW M3 Touring
BMW actually thought of the M3 Touring as a hot station wagon back in 2000, but it won’t be available until 2022. In order to assess the viability of a production model, the German business constructed a wagon prototype after introducing the E46 generation M3 at that time.
BMW, however, abandoned the project after determining that an M3 Touring wouldn’t be very profitable. This wagon would have been the fastest and most potent in its niche because the E46 M3 had the fastest 0-to-60 mph times in its class, with a 3.2-liter inline-six engine producing 338 horsepower.
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Despite the fact that one almost arrived with the E36 generation, this is the first M3 wagon since the car was first released in 1986. As a third mid-size vehicle in the M series, which also includes four SUVs, it joins the M3 sedan and M4 coupe. With the exception of one glaring difference—the wagon’s roof extends past the C-pillar all the way to a rear hatch—the newest addition resembles the other M3 almost exactly. It resembles the contemporary 3-series Touring quite a bit, but with to its aggressively contoured body and enormous rear diffuser, it seems considerably sportier.
The interior of the M3 Touring is reminiscent of the sedan model as well. Anyone who has sat in the current-generation M3 will be familiar with the dashboard and driver’s cockpit, albeit the latter has a brand-new 14.9-inch curved touchscreen that runs BMW’s updated Operating System 8 software package. As before, the back has undergone the most modification. When the seats are folded down, the vehicle’s cargo space expands to 53 cubic feet from 18 cubic feet when the roof is extended.
The 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six that powers the Touring is the same engine that powers the top-of-the-line M3 Competition xDrive sedan. According to the manufacturer, the engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic M Steptronic transmission and is capable of producing a very powerful 510 horsepower and 479 ft lbs of peak torque. As a result, you’ll be able to accelerate the vehicle to a top speed of 155 mph while reaching zero to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and zero to 124 mph in 12.9 seconds. With the M Driver’s Package, that latter speed increases to 174 mph. You may switch between four-wheel drive, four-wheel drive Sport, rear-wheel drive, and even a mode that will facilitate drifting with BMW’s xDrive technology. The wagon should at the very least be enjoyable to drive.
Unfortunately, American drivers won’t be able to partake in the fun for the time being. The M3 Touring will be on sale later this year in virtually every location save North America, indicating BMW doesn’t think it will sell here. It will make its official debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. Thankfully, other manufacturers appear to differ, including Porsche (Taycan Cross Turismo) and Audi (RS6 Avant). Let’s hope that their German colleagues do the same as soon as possible.
What brand does the BMW station wagon go by?
Models of the 2019 BMW 3 Series The only trim level offered for the 2019 BMW 3 Series Wagon is the 330i xDrive. It has an eight-speed automatic transmission, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 248 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, and all-wheel drive.
When did BMW last produce a station wagon?
The capable, useful, and fashionable 3-series Sports Wagon is the only wagon offered by BMW in the United States. However, act quickly since after the 2019 model year, the 3-series wagon will no longer be sold in the United States.
Exists a BMW M3 wagon?
The brand-new BMW M3 Touring is here. Yes, it is an M3 wagon, the first one that BMW has produced across the nameplate’s six iterations. In the past, it came quite close to launching a long-roof variant of the E36 generation M3, which was produced between 1992 and 1999.
BMW makes wagons, but in 2021?
People simply don’t enjoy station wagons as much as they used to in the age of SUVs and crossovers of all sizes and forms, especially when there are so many equally or even more practical options available now.
However, there is a specific kind of station wagon that manages to balance between these two opposing realms. It combines the typical family car’s svelte and unassuming design with the utmost toughness of something more practical and capable after you run out of pavement.
These wagons are often available from a variety of automakers, and they range in price. Of course, the most well-liked/capable ones have always had pricier price tags; the Audi A6 Allroad is already well-known in this market. Audi later unveiled an A4 Allroad as a result of its popularity, which took place back in 2009.
Volvo has also been in the game for a while, and the V90 Cross Country is presently the A6 Allroad’s main competition. The A6 Allroad also faces off against the 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain.
We’re not precisely sure why, but BMW hasn’t shown any interest in creating a tough wagon using the 5 Series Touring as a model. Drawings like this one by Kolesa demonstrate that a G31 5 Series wagon’s overall look isn’t affected in the slightest by adding body covering and additional ground clearance. Additionally, the Bavarian automaker only needs to look at its competitors for proof-of-concept.
In the auto sector, it’s seldom a smart idea to maintain your position indefinitely. Before BMW chose to change its mind, there was never an M3 Touring. Until we finally received the M760i xDrive as a sort of compromise for the absence of an M7, which we predict will materialize sometime, they were also opposed to any type of M-powered 7-Series.
There is currently no reason to think that a modified 5 Series Touring (maybe renamed the Gran Wagon or Cross Wagon?) wouldn’t be as popular as the A6 Allroad or the E-Class All-Terrain. Given how it appears in these computer designs, it would definitely look the part.
Given that the A6 Allroad is only offered in the United States in 55 TFSI quattro condition, an analogous BMW 5 Series “Cross Wagon” would likely need to be available in 540i xDrive spec. The 540i xDrive uses its 3.0-liter inline-six turbocharged engine to reach 60 mph (96 kph) in under 4.6 seconds while operating as a sedan.
Although the higher wagon model could accelerate slightly more slowly to 60 mph and be little less enjoyable to drive, the overall driving experience wouldn’t be that different.