01 BMW M3 TOURING
In the 37year history of the M3, BMW never made an estate version, till now. The M3 Touring gains about 85kg, but the weight penalty is negligible because the powertrain and drivetrain are so potent. It has the same S58 3-litre twin-turbo straight-six as the M3 Competition saloon, which puts out 510hp and 650nm of torque. But it feels like more because the way the M3 Touring gains speed will leave your jaw on the floor. Every time you prod the accelerator, you wonder how something this large can cover ground so rapidly. It sounds quite good too when you open the exhaust valves.
The ZF 8-speed auto transmission is equally impressive. Some might lament the loss of the old 7-speed dual-clutch unit and the immediacy and crispness of gear shifts that it offered – and rightly so – but there’s no denying that the ZF is almost as fast and is far more adept at start-stop city traffic. The tall 8th gear also helps with fuel consumption at highway speeds.
I travelled over 350km during my weekend with the car and managed 8 km/l. The M3 Touring will only be available with xDrive – BMW’s all-wheel drive system. Purists might baulk at this, but I think the decision is justified given that it needs to go up against Audi’s Quattro-equipped RS4 Avant. The type of customer that buys an estate likely values practicality and safety and the sure-footedness of xDrive guarantees that.
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