The Ex Stig Shows How Much Fun You Can Have In New M3 Touring

It may have taken BMW decades to launch a Touring version of the M3 but now that the Audi RS4 Avant and Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate rival is here, Ben Collins recently had the chance to put it through its paces around the Nurburgring GP circuit.

Given that Collins once served as The Stig on Top Gear, he is the perfect man to push the M3 Touring to its limits. Sure, there will probably be very few owners of the car that actually take it to a racetrack but it’s good to know that it is just as dynamic as the regular M3 sedan.

Read: Manhart Previews Tuned BMW M3 Touring With 641 HP

The car is equipped with the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder as the M3 Competition sedan, pumping out 503 hp and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. This engine is coupled exclusively to an eight-speed automatic transmission sending power through all four wheels courtesy of the carmaker’s M xDrive all-wheel drive system. BMW quotes a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 3.6 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 174 mph (280 km/h).

During the first part of the review, Collins tests the M3 Touring in all-wheel drive mode. He is left very impressed with the performance on offer, noting that the car has so much grip that it almost feels as though it has a big front splitter and a rear wing sucking it down to the pavement. The reviewer then discovers what the M3 Touring is all about when switching it into rear-wheel drive mode.

Collins is very complimentary of the dynamics when driven in rear-wheel drive. It has excellent dynamics and feels just as an M3 should. It is also more than happy for the tail to be kicked out, allowing for some very impressive drifts to be performed.