There’s been a lot of clamour over some of the most recent BMW releases. The slightly portly new M5, and prior to that, both the M3 and M5 Touring kicked up a small storm of interest from car enthusiasts.  Why? Well, in theory, they are cars which have the whole package. The handling and capability BMW M cars are known for, alongside the daily practicality of an estate car. Theoretically then, they should be all the car you could ever need.

Nothing encapsulates this ideology like the M3 Touring. This is the idea: bundle the kids in the back, knowing there’s plenty of space for all their paraphernalia either with them in the back, or in the positively cavernous boot. Pram, mattress, cupboard, anvil. Whatever it is, it’ll probably fit. That’s the beauty of the Touring. The problem before, was that was it. You tootled slowly back home in whatever dynamically uninspiring family car you’d been forced into for practicality reasons. Probably a diesel that made noises like a washing machine full of cutlery.

 

Year: 2023

Colour: Black Sapphire

Interior: Black extended Merino leather

 

But fear not. Buckle in, both physically and mentally. Because the M3 Touring is perhaps one of the most multitalented cars on sale today. The optional M Carbon Bucket seats are snug, but not uncomfy, and are exactly what you need to stop you flying across the interior round a tight corner. The steering wheel is quite thick, as new BMWs tend to be, but the Alcantara helps the sporty feel and look. It’s not all about looks, however: the M3 Touring walks the walk too. There shouldn’t be any trouble getting the power down, thanks to BMW’s all-wheel drive system we know and love as “xDrive”. Which is good, because when it comes to power, there’s a lot of it. Let’s start with 503bhp and 479lb-ft of torque. It’s a properly capable car then, and despite its larger-than-sportscar proportions, the M3 Touring does a good job, sprinting from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds.

To back up the sporty accolades, the M3 Touring you see before you has an exhaust from Akrapovic, which, after clicking the M2 button on the steering wheel, sounds reassuringly meaty, but also not loud enough that you’ll go deaf after a long journey. There’s the M performance carbon fibre kit, which covers pieces like the front splitter, rear fins, boot spoiler, side skirts and front bumper intake. The fact of the matter is, with plenty of space and more than enough performance, the life of the family man doesn’t look as dull as it did before.