We test the BMW M3 Competition Touring M xDrive: customer racing, with trunk

From the Nürburgring to the school gates or from the weekend to the beach, surfboard or mountain bike, its architecture invites leisure because it fits almost anything inside, and also leisure behind the wheel, because every ride is an exceptional experience. There's only one risk, and it's permanent: the future of points and the driver's license.

I've had the privilege of driving many BMW M cars in ideal conditions and also at their limits, in the rain, on the track, and on the road. Some even drove them in their racing versions, in legendary locations like the Nürburgring. What's expected of a car with the M seal of approval is above what's demanded of most supercars. Because A BMW M isn't just required to run: it demands surgical precision, emotional capacity, and a dynamic balance that's hard to describe. And this Touring delivers... without forgetting the space for the family..

• The chassis setup has been fine-tuned at the Nürburgring: the M3 Touring is a racing car with a license plate.

Licensed to compete on any surface

The M3 Touring impresses from the first glance with the aggressiveness of its performance range. There are no half measures. Its obligatory vertical kidney grilles, the flared wheel arches, the rear diffuser, the quad exhausts… Everything has a reason, everything is necessary, and nothing is for show. Everything works towards performance. Under the hood, the 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology It delivers 510 hp and 650 Nm of torque. It doesn't just push, it explodes at the top of the rev range with the fury of a XNUMXs naturally aspirated engine and the power of a modern turbo. It's not an explosive kick, it's a progressive kick that never ends.

Every time you push it to the limit, the LEDs on the dashboard hit your brain like stirrups hit a horse's belly. The paddle shifters respond with surgical precision, the sound pierces your ear, and the acceleration takes your breath away. You upshift, you fly, you brake late, you trace, and repeat. The steering wheel—perfect in diameter and feel—communicates every inch of grip. During deceleration, the sound is almost more intoxicating than under full load. And The brakes, whether the standard M Compound or the optional carbon-ceramic, allow you to brake hard corner after corner without faltering..

• The 510 hp engine is derived directly from the powerplant of the BMW M4 GT3. It pulls like a demon and sounds even better.

All-wheel drive that also knows how to drift and the magic is completed with the M xDrive system, which distributes power between all four wheels, but can prioritize the rear axle (4WD Sport mode), or even disconnect the stability control and operate only in rear-wheel drive (2WD mode). Please, it should state, as the drug leaflets say, that it should be used only in very favorable conditions and by experienced drivers. The result is a family sedan capable of drifting like an E3 M92 on its best day. Furthermore, M traction control allows slippage to be modulated in 10 levels. And if you add the M Drift Analyzer, you can directly study your art of drifting as if you were on a drift test. The numbers are as compelling as the sensations: 0 to 100 km/h in 3,6 seconds, 0 to 200 km/h in just 12,9. Top speed of up to 280 km/h with the M Driver's Package.

The chassis, suspension and brakes are as expected, with the obligatory Bavarian precision that has put special care into the frame. adaptive M suspension with electronic dampersThe M Servotronic steering, the active rear differential, and specific structural reinforcements confirm what you already feel behind the wheel: this is a racing car dressed in Touring attire. It has so much technological and racing substance to share, we could be here for weeks. The setup has been painstakingly worked on at the Nürburgring and other test tracks. It's clear that these are made by racing drivers. The balance between sporting precision and travel comfort is simply exceptional; in fact, it's surprising because it can also be very comfortable. You can go on vacation or do fast laps without touching a single setting.

And yes, family comfort is real: a trunk of up to 1.510 liters, real rear seats, a 40:20:40 folding backrest, and practical solutions like anti-slip rails and underfloor storage compartments. Inside, the "M" DNA is also evident from every angle. The cabin is a balance of technology, ergonomics, and extreme sportiness. The curved screen (BMW Curved Display) with two high-resolution digital monitors and the BMW iDrive 8 system form an intuitive ecosystem that responds to voice and touch.Everything is where it should be. And everything exudes pure motorsport. The standard seats are already exceptional, but the optional M Carbon Bucket seats take the experience to the next level: lighter, more extreme, and with a design that looks like it came straight from the pit lane.

• With configurable traction and driving modes, this Touring also knows how to drift like a pure rear-wheel drive..

This M3 station wagon is an act of rebellion with a license plate in these times, times when political correctness is called a lazy hybrid SUV. In these times, BMW launches a station wagon with 510 horsepower and configurable traction. The M3 Touring is not a fad. It's a car that reminds you why you love driving, why you like driving. A rarity that defies the trend, that stands up to mandatory electrification, and that recovers the essence of the automobile understood as pleasure and precision. It's a car for the brave, for those who don't conform, for those who don't follow the herd. And it is, for all that, a jewel with a license plate.