BMW has been racing in the 24h Nürburgring race for years, with its latest victory coming last year at the hands of Rowe Racing’s BMW M4 GT3 Evo.
This year, however, the Bavarian marque has given us a bit of a twist, as it will field a specially-built race car based on the BMW M3 Touring, simply known as the BMW M3 Touring 24H.
From April Fools’ Joke to Reality
The whole idea behind a race-ready M3 Touring started as an April Fools’ joke last year, when BMW posted a video showcasing a manic M3 Touring GT race car on its social media channels to tease wagon enthusiasts and racing fans alike.
Following said video, BMW never gave any indication that it could actually build the outlandish GT3 racer; that is, until today, when the M3 Touring 24H was shown to the world for the first time.
The idea of a race-bred BMW estate started way back in 2022, with the development of this very example taking place in just eight months.
The M3 Touring 24H is essentially an M4 GT3 Evo wrapped in an M3 Touring wagon body, making it 200 mm longer and 32 mm taller than the original coupe. Its bulky, long-roofed design over the coupe does pose some aerodynamic challenges, but BMW M just solved them by putting a large swan-neck rear wing on its roof, turning the wagon into a certified track monster.
Other race-specific upgrades primed here include a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) body, a race-spec roll cage, 18-inch wheels with upgraded racing brakes and racing slicks, a special camo-like livery, and the rear doors are now closed shut.
This racing wagon draws its power from a familiar 3.0-litre MTwinPower Turbo straight-six engine that makes up to 598 PS (440 kW) and 700 Nm. Power is then sent to the rear wheels via an X-Trac six-speed sequential transmission.
Racing Debut at the 2026 24h Nurburgring
The all-new BMW M3 Touring 24H is set to make its competitive debut at this year’s 24h Nürburgring under the banner of German racing team Schubert Motorsport in the special SPX category, meaning that it won’t be competing against its coupe twin in the top-flight SP9 class.
Beyond this special Nordschleife cameo, BMW hasn’t given any plans for further competitive outings for the M3 Touring 24H, nor has it announced plans to make it available for privateer racers as it does with the M4 GT3 racer.
“A project like the BMW M3 Touring 24H has never existed at BMW M Motorsport before. Many thanks to everyone who put their heart and soul into this unique car and brought it to life.
“I am thrilled—and at the same time, I am certain that our fans, who are never closer to us than at our second home on the Nürburgring, will be just as excited. I promise all fans a great show and look forward to an event of superlatives,” said Andrea Roos, head of BMW M’s motorsport operations.
