The M3 CS Touring made headlines this week after claiming the lap record for the fastest production wagon at the Nürburgring. BMW’s first Competition Sport model with a long roof has already visited another track nearly 500 miles away in the UK. The spicy G81, featuring a right-hand-drive layout, headed to the Thruxton Circuit.
It’s actually the second time we’ve seen this fast estate painted in British Racing Green. BMW UK recently shared images of the M3 CS Touring on public roads, and now we’re admiring the car on the race track near the village of Thruxton in Hampshire. Originally built as an airfield in 1942 during World War II, the circuit was established in 1968. It’s one of the fastest in the country, allowing drivers to reach speeds of more than 186 mph (300 km/h).
The 2.3-mile (3.8-kilometer) track recently hosted the M3 CS Touring in its most striking livery yet. Beyond the Individual paint, the matte Gold Bronze wheels are a sight to behold. It’s one of the most expensive wagons money can buy in the UK. Pricing starts at £126,275, but the color alone adds £4,385. At least the flashy 827M wheels are “free.”
Even though the CS is the flagship model, there are still boxes on the options list to tick. Want carbon-ceramic brakes? That’s another £8,800. Darkened headlights add £275, while acoustic glazing for the front side windows with laminated safety glass costs an extra £200. All in, you’ll be spending an eye-watering £140,000 on the M3 CS Touring, or nearly as much as an M5 Touring with all the bells and whistles.
Steep pricing aside, credit to BMW for offering two performance wagons in today’s SUV-dominated market. Giving the M3 Touring a CS version is the icing on the cake. It’s likely only a matter of time before its bigger brother gets the same treatment. If an M5 CS Touring is in the pipeline, it could be based on the mid-cycle update expected in 2027. Naturally, a Competition Sport-badged sedan also seems like a safe bet.
It would be interesting to see whether the M5 CS Touring can outpace this car at the Nürburgring. BMW is unlikely to publish a lap time unless it beats the M3 CS Touring’s 7-minute and 29.49-second run around the Green Hell. The G99 may offer significantly more power thanks to its V8 engine and electric motor, but it’s also much heavier.
Lap times aside, purists will likely gravitate toward the G81 for its pure internal combustion experience and for being 625 kilograms (1,378 pounds) lighter. Had BMW added a stick shift and a carbon roof, it might’ve been just about perfect. But a manual gearbox can’t handle this much power and torque, and fitting a carbon roof would’ve been too much of a hassle at the Munich assembly line for a low-volume product.
