BMW's M Division is preparing two ultra-hot station wagons: the M5 Touring and the M3 CS Touring. The latter became the focus of the camera lens, with our spy photographer spotting this partially camouflaged prototype in Germany.
The long-roof version of the BMW M3 CS, which premiered a little over a year ago, has the same features, design traits, engine, chassis setup, and so on, and a more spacious cargo area due to its station wagon body style.
Up front, it has an identical bumper with the same creases, vents, and sharp lines. The grille and the hood are the same, and we expect the daytime running lights incorporated into the main clusters to have a yellow look, just like the sedan.
Another special design trait is the dedicated diffuser at the rear, which didn't feature the trippy stickers on the latest scooped tester. The front fender trim should also be the same, and the wheels are identical. Zoom in, and you will see the yellow brake calipers, the only contrast to the car's black exterior.
Photo: SH Proshots
BMW's five-door Competition Sport (CS) will retain the rear bench so it can comfortably seat four, with five being a crowd, especially on longer drives. We expect it to get a pair of bucket seats at the front, a three-spoke steering wheel wrapped in Alcantara with a few carbon details, carbon fiber paddle shifters, and a curved iDrive screen.
An all-wheel-drive system will also be on deck, thus making the M3 CS Touring an all-weather machine. A 3.0-liter straight-six engine with twin turbos, mated to an eight-speed transmission, sits under the hood. It pumps out 543 horsepower (550 ps/405 kW) and 479 pound-foot (650 Nm) of torque, identical to its four-door sibling.
While the regular M3 Touring takes 3.6 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 kph), and the M3 CS Sedan can do it in 3.4 seconds, we reckon the M3 CS Touring will be able to deal with the sprint in 3.5 seconds. Mind you, only a select few will be able to tell the difference between it and the standard five-door variant, yet they can always brag about their ride being faster and rarer.
Speaking of the latter, it has been reported that fewer than 2,000 copies might be made for worldwide markets. Don't look for it in the United States, as the regular M3 Touring is not sold here either.
On a more positive note, BMW has confirmed that the larger M5 Touring will launch in our market as a rival to the likes of the Audi RS 6 Avant. The executive super estate is expected to have an electrified 4.4L twin-turbo V8, which might be identical to the one in the XM Label, where it churns out 737 hp (748 ps/550 kW) and 738 pound-foot (1,000 Nm).
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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