- Two reports from reliable sources indicate BMW has approved a next-generation M3 Touring for production.
- The G88 wagon is believed to arrive in 2029 or about a year after the G84 sedan.
- Both body styles are apparently heading to the United States.
When BMW secretly built an M3 Touring back in the 2000s during the E46 era, it decided to stick to a single prototype and keep it all to itself. It wasn’t until the G81 launched two decades later that you could buy a long-roof M3. However, not everywhere. To the dismay of performance wagon fans, the best-selling luxury automaker denied Americans the opportunity to buy the excellent all-rounder.
But that may change in the coming years. BMW is making another generation of the 3 Series Touring, and reports are intensifying about a full-fat M variant. New reports emerged over the weekend from BMWBLOG and the Bimmer Post forums about the G88 and how it will allegedly join the lineup in late 2028 or early 2029, sitting alongside the next M3 sedan (G84). And yes, it’s increasingly likely that the higher-ups in Munich have approved the fast wagon’s U.S. visa.
Of course, nothing is official until BMW says so. It wouldn’t come as a big surprise to see the next M3 Touring in America given the unexpected success of the larger and more expensive M5 Touring. Even in the U.S., where the company builds most of its SUVs at the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, there are plenty of deep-pocketed enthusiasts looking for something that sits lower to the ground.
Photo by: Alex Goy | Motor1
The Next M3 Touring Could Go Mild-Hybrid
While the M5 has a complex plug-in hybrid powertrain, that’s unlikely to be the case for its smaller brother. BMW has already said the next M3 will use a “new type of six-cylinder engine,” and all signs point toward an update for the inline-six. The twin-turbo 3.0-liter mill is expected to feature a mild-hybrid setup to comply with stricter emissions regulations without the massive weight penalty of a PHEV.
On the flip side, without the larger battery found in a plug-in hybrid, it would not have any meaningful electric range. As a refresher, the M5 Touring goes 24 miles (39 kilometers) on a single charge, according to the EPA. In Europe, the heavily electrified wagon bearing the BMW roundel covers 42 miles (68 kilometers) without sipping any fuel on the more optimistic WLTP cycle.
Then again, efficiency isn’t necessarily a top priority for people buying a high-performance wagon. They’d rather sacrifice some miles per gallon for a lighter car that’s more enjoyable to drive, all while avoiding the extra layer of complexity that comes with a PHEV.
Photo by: Alex Goy | Motor1
All-Wheel Drive And Two Pedals
The next sports wagon is likely to come strictly in all-wheel-drive guise, which would automatically mean an automatic-only setup. While there’s no word on power, we’re not expecting anything less than the 543 hp available in the limited-run M3 CS Touring. Similarly, torque is unlikely to fall below the 480 lb-ft (650 Nm) figure of the current-generation model.
While it’s too soon to talk about firm pricing details, we can speculate. An educated guess tells us it’ll undercut the M5 Touring, which currently starts at just under $130,000 in the United States. By the time the M3 Touring makes its way to the U.S., provided it really does, the larger wagon’s asking price will likely have increased.
It’s not a wild guess, since cars are notoriously getting more expensive with each passing year. Considering today’s M3 Competition xDrive Sedan starts at a smidge under $90,000, a wagon version of its successor may have a six-figure base price. Judging by the gap in pricing between the M5 models, the M3 sedan should be a couple of thousand dollars cheaper than the wagon.
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Source: Alex Goy | Motor1
Motor1’s Take: In an SUV-obsessed world, we’re happy to hear rumors are pointing toward the possibility of an M3 Touring and its U.S. visa. It’ll predictably be expensive, but that’s the price to pay for having a do-it-all type of car. There are no signs of BMW bringing the regular 3 Series Touring (G51) to the U.S., where the automaker doesn’t sell the standard 5 Series Touring either.
Whether the new Audi RS5 Avant will make it to America remains an open question, but there’s a real chance that at least one performance wagon in this segment will get a U.S. passport.
Sources:
BMWBLOG, Bimmer Post