Among BMW enthusiasts, the M3 Touring is likely the most exciting car in the brand’s near future. BMW enthusiasts have been begging the Bavarian brand to develop a long-roof version of the 3 Series for decades, to no avail. However, the suits in Munich seem to have finally changed their tune, as a BMW M3 Touring is officially on the way and it’s recently been caught doing some testing at the Nurburgring. (We don’t own the photos but they can be seen here)

From the B-pillar forward, the new BMW M3 Touring is identical to the M3 Sedan, though that’s to be expected. Move further back and you’ll see the roof extends into a wagon body style, similar to the standard G21 3 Series Touring. However, differentiating it from the ordinary 3er are its flared fenders at the back, similar to those found on the M3 Sedan. Also, the M3 Touring, much like the 3 Series Touring, ditches the Sedan’s odd Hofmeister Kink.

Under the skin, the BMW M3 Touring will only be available in Competition spec, so it will be identical to the M3 Competition Sedan. Which means it will pack a 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged I6 with 510 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It will also get all-wheel drive as-standard, providing some year-round capability.

The BMW M3 Touring won’t be available for a couple of years but when it does hit the market, it will give cars like the Audi RS4 Avant and Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate some real competition. Both cars have been offered in wagon form for some time now, leaving the M3 out. Now, though, there’s a proper M3 wagon and it should be an incredibly popular car among enthusiasts.

For years, we’ve heard enthusiasts claim that if BMW developed an M3 Touring, they’d be first in line with their deposits. In a couple of years time, we’ll be able to see how many of them are telling the truth.

[Source: Motor1]