2023 BMW M3 Touring new car review
A bruising new muscle car has arrived in Australia with potent performance and looks to match, and it could be the only car you’d ever need.
Luxury
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If you have the cash, BMW’s M3 Touring wagon is one car that can do it all.
It promises a single-car solution combining everyday practicality with extraordinary performance.
More practical than sports cars such as the Porsche 911 and more engaging than SUVs, the first M3 wagon blends day-to-day credentials with truly ferocious speed.
Four doors allow access to a reasonably roomy cabin loaded with luxury and technology.
A spacious boot is covered by a powered tailgate with a pop-out glass hatch for easy access.
We’ve seen that on wagons before but the same can’t be said of the lightweight carbon fibre bucket seats ready to accept racing harnesses, or the removable headrest cushion that makes room for helmets.
They’re part of a $17,500 package that includes racetrack tuition, a higher top speed and lashings of decorative carbon fibre.
The seats lock you into place with hip and shoulder bolsters augmented by a strangely sculpted seat pan with a raised centre section that gives your thighs something to grip when cornering.
Rigid and thinly-padded chairs place you low in the car. They amplify connection to the vehicle, clearly communicating every body movement, twitch or change in slip angle to leave in you no doubt as to its attitude and intention.
Getting in and out of the seats is a chore but they make every drive a more vibrant experience.
Our test car also replaced heavy steel brake rotors with $16,500 carbon ceramic units with much larger and lighter discs that resist brake fade while improving ride and steering response.
Factor in $5000 for premium paint and the car’s $180,100 retail cost gets scarily close to $250,000 drive-away.
That’s a big number – one that normally lands larger executive performance cars from the 400kW club, such as the BMW M5, Audi RS6 or Mercedes-AMG E63.
BMW says the M3’s 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine has 375kW and 650Nm but the howling, torque-rich motor feels stronger than that in the real world, and a claimed 3.6 second dash to 100km/h suggests there are at least 400kW under the bonnet.
The M3 is smaller and lighter than more expensive V8 rivals and has fingertip precision missing from brutal big-bangers that rely on shock and awe to get from A to B with pace.
There’s sports car dexterity to the Touring, which thrills like a five-door Nissan GT-R when given a chance.
Luxury features help justify the high price to a certain extent.
Laser-augmented headlights join a hi-tech cabin with a huge head-up display complemented by a 12.3-inch digital dashboard and 14.9-inch wide-screen infotainment system linked to a 16-speaker Harman Kardon stereo.
Wireless smartphone mirroring and inductive charging are part of the deal, as is three-zone climate control, heated seats and tactile touches such as carbon fibre gearshift paddles and metallic covers for buttons throughout the cabin.
There are plenty of toys for the driver to play with, including customisable settings for the suspension, steering, brake pedal, engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.
You can also choose between a fairly neutral four-wheel-drive bias, a heavily rear-biased “sport” setting or a 100 per cent rear-drive bias.
Preferred combinations are saved to “M1” and “M2” shortcuts on the steering wheel.
The M3 Touring has a more comfortable ride than the firmer M3 sedan or M4 coupe, with a comparatively supple approach to bump control that feels firm in isolation.
Taut and precise, the M3 exhibits athletic control you won’t find in high-riding sports SUVs.
The M3 Touring is approachable enough to give novices an appreciation for fast cars, but it also has the depth of talent to take enthusiasts to a higher level.
It gets better the deeper you dig, blending raw pace with a high-definition finesse to keep you coming back for more.
VERDICT 4.5/5
Ferociously quick, impressively practical and imposingly styled, the M3 Touring is BMW at its best.
BMW M3 TOURING
PRICE About $195,000 drive-away
ENGINE 3.0-litre 6-cyl, 375kW and 650Nm
WARRANTY/SERVICING 5-yr/u’ltd km, $4436 over five years
SAFETY Seven airbags, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, blind-spot warning, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert
THIRST 10.4L/100km
CARGO 500 litres
SPARE Repair kit
Originally published as 2023 BMW M3 Touring new car review
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