Lap records are generally not a deciding factor for someone buying a wagon. However, the M3 Touring isn’t your typical grocery getter, targeting a niche of customers who want to have it all. A new post on social media suggests BMW is back at the Nürburgring with the G81. Instead of returning with the standard car, the M division is upping the ante with the hotter Competition Sport.
A video shared on Instagram shows the M3 CS Touring tackling the challenging German racetrack. The “been on a hot lap” message gives the impression that BMW is teasing an improved lap time. The time to beat is 7 minutes and 35 seconds, a performance achieved by the standard car three years ago.
That lap time hasn’t been surpassed by another production wagon, so the M3 Touring still holds the record for the fastest estate around the Nürburgring. The time applies to the longer 20.8-kilometer (12.9-mile) configuration of the track. A potential record-breaking run would mirror BMW’s strategy with the M2 CS. The “baby M” recently shaved 7.6 seconds off the standard model’s lap.
It’s too soon to say whether the M3 CS Touring will trim as much time from the standard G81’s performance. But it’s certainly possible, especially since the lap may have been done using the optional “ultra-track tires” announced when the spicy wagon debuted in January. The M2 CS also used the stickiest rubber available—Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS—when it dethroned the Audi RS3 as the fastest compact car around the ‘Ring.
As for potential challengers, not many come to mind. Audi might try with the future RS5 Avant or RS6 Avant. We reckon Mercedes-AMG is unlikely to make a run with its much-criticised four-cylinder hybrid C63 Estate. And let’s not forget BMW now has an M5 Touring. The G99 could eventually aim for wagon supremacy at the Nordschleife too.
Not that we needed further convincing, but the M3 CS Touring may be the most desirable car in BMW’s current lineup. It ticks nearly every box and has room to store them in its generous cargo area. A Nürburgring record would be another feather in its cap, and a way to justify the lofty price tag. In Germany, it starts at €152,900 and climbs past €173,000 with all the options, including carbon-ceramic brakes and Individual paint.
Source: BMW M / Instagram
