BMW question: Why no M3 tourer?

[anonymous-user]

I have been thinking that an M3 tourer would be my perfect car, with a great combination of performance and practicality. But BMW don't make there 3 series M cars as tourers, so why not?


Best reasons i could come up with:

1) didn't want to dilute the most "sporting" of the M car range (M5 is more hypergalactic luxo barge so a tourer is less of a dilution etc)
2) no demand (what percentage of RS4s are Avants?)
3) you can get the 335i tourer instead (not enough extra performance/handling to justify that car over say a 330d for me)
4) The lower stiffness tourer chassis would have affected the ride and handling too much?
5) Some other marketing reason


What do people recon, and will there be a 335i(M) tourer in the new shape car?

[Cheib]

Two things I think no 4wd and no proper automatic.

Tourer's are bought by families so there's every chance the lady in the house wants to drive the car......so you need to offer a proper automatic for the less enthusiastic driver. Certainly until the vary latest cars the SMG box has been a long way from offering a decent auto mode.

And then people want 4wd in tourer's.

[Contigo]

If they made an M3 Touring it would sell like hotcakes. I would have got one over the M5 probably.

Look at this effort!

[davepoth]

I'm guessing they knew that an M3 estate would rob sales from the M5 estate. IIRC Audi did the same thing with the RS4 and 6 for a while.

[NadiR]

Problem is, when the E39 M5 was made, pretty much everyone complained by saying that there was no tourer. Then BMW decided to listen to us, and make the E61 M5 tourer. Now remind me, how much of those did they sell?

[Zyp]

Closest you'll get is the Alpina B3S Touring, but it's not a V8.

[m444ttb]

There just aren't enough super-estates (tourings / advants / whatever) full stop! An M3 touring would pretty much be exactly where I'd like to be right now. I keep thinking I'll chop my 323 in for an M3 saloon, then I find something where an estate is useful :-/

[anonymous-user]

Frankly, if i wanted 4wd in my estate car i'd buy an Audi. But i don't, just drive the rears for me please ;-)

I can't think of any engineering reason that would make an M3 tourer expensive or diffucult to make?

[FamilyDub]

Max_Torque said:

2) no demand (what percentage of RS4s are Avants?)

Strange point, because:

1) B5 RS4 and forthcoming B8 RS4 were/are only available in Avant/Estate flavours, and
2) This thread on AudiRS246.com seems to think more B7 Avants were sold than the saloon.

Or is it the 4WD drivetrain that puts you off? [edit: just seen you saying that]

FWIW, an M3 touring seems like a perfect car to me - room for the buggy on a hoon!

[Leins]

I think the cult of the RS2 and B5 RS4 helped cement the demand for subsequent RS Avants. As for the RS4 eating into demand for the RS6, have these yet been available on the market together? For a long time Audi would only produce one RS model at any one time

As for the M3 Touring, I believe it would a very good idea to build this, although it might take away sales from the saloon. Only V8 3-series Tourer I can think of is the E36 B8, a car very high on the want list. I do like Alpina wagons

[rallycross]

[quote=Max_Torque]

3) you can get the 335i tourer instead (not enough extra performance/handling to justify that car over say a 330d for me)
quote]


An M3 Tourer would be superb.
Re' comparing a 335i petrol with a 330d, I've driven them back to back, the 335i is a great thing to drive quickly, the 330d is a low revving oil burner that is good on fuel, very refined for a diesel, but otherwise horrible compared to a petrol 335 which is a 300 + bhp free revving delight compared to the diesel.

[Tuvra]

NadiR said:

Problem is, when the E39 M5 was made, pretty much everyone complained by saying that there was no tourer. Then BMW decided to listen to us, and make the E61 M5 tourer. Now remind me, how much of those did they sell?

There would be a lot more demand for an M3 estate over the M5 purely down to the cost? The RS4 out sold the RS6, the C63 out sells the E63 etc...(in estate form)

[scz4]

BMW please please make a F31 M3 !! Although sadly, it's unlikely to be a V8

I'd be selling up both cars and putting a deposit down.

[anonymous-user]

rallycross said:

Re' comparing a 335i petrol with a 330d, I've driven them back to back, the 335i is a great thing to drive quickly, the 330d is a low revving oil burner that is good on fuel, very refined for a diesel, but otherwise horrible compared to a petrol 335 which is a 300 + bhp free revving delight compared to the diesel.

Without wishing to turn this in to the typical Gasoline Vs Diesel endless-impossible-to-end-debateument, imo, the 335i is very much targeted as "luxury performance" and the M3 as "sports performance" Hence the engine is only one part of the jigsaw. Where the 335i is a very very acomplished everyday performer, great performance, usable, decent fun when pushing on a bit, but it's no M3, which brings a whole extra level of performance to the table. In everything from steering precision to damping, to traction (LSD etc) the M3 is so much more of a sports car. So, and again all in my opinion, if i am going to sacrifice MPG and some usablity at the altar of performance, the 335i is not enough of a step to make that pay off (above a 330d which in the real world is 99% as fast and effortless / refined as the 335i etc). Hope that makes sense! ;-)

[Seb d]

No demand. 1025 E61 M5 Tourings sold, 19,564 Saloons sold. Sadly BMW enthusiasts on the internet asking for M Tourings doesn't translate to real-world sales.