The BMW M3 Touring’s rollout continues and its latest stop was in Slovenia where the G81 posed for the camera in a color we haven’t seen before on the super wagon. Thundernight Metallic debuted back in mid-2021 on the 2 Series Coupe G42 before the Z4 LCI received the attractive shade of purple last year. It’s now the long-roof M3’s turn to rock this color, available only as an Individual paint as an alternative to similar hues such as Daytona Violet, Twilight Purple, Wildberry, and Purple Silk.
The boldly colored M3 Touring wasn’t the only specimen as BMW Slovenia also had a different version finished in Frozen Pure Grey Metallic – another color from the Individual catalog. The more subdued specification swapped out the two-tone alloy wheels for an all-black set. Both had the anniversary roundel introduced in 2022 to celebrate 50 years of M.
Although highly customizable, M3 Touring doesn’t have as many options as its sedan sibling. BMW sells the AMG C63 Estate rival only with xDrive. That means it comes exclusively as a Competition model and you can’t have it with a six-speed manual gearbox. In addition, the carbon fiber roof is not available since the German luxury brand only offers it for the M340i/M340d and M3 sedans.
As with just about every other M car on sale today, numerous M Performance Parts are available to make the M3 Touring look more aggressive both inside and out. All G81s are built with the iDrive 8 and have the old automatic gearbox lever instead of the much smaller selector seen on recent BMWs, including the 3 Series LCI up to the M340i.
Those who appreciate the practicality but want an even bigger car will have to wait until around 2025 when BMW will bring back the M5 Touring for a third generation. It’s reportedly codenamed G99 and could come to the United States, unlike its smaller brother. Prepare to pony up some serious cash considering the M3 Touring is already an expensive car, kicking off at 101,300 euros at home in Germany.
Source: BMW Slovenia, Žiga Intihar @zigaintihar
