2023 BMW M3 Touring teased

The first series-produced BMW M3 Touring is taking shape.

It’s been confirmed for Australia, although exact timing for its arrival hasn’t been confirmed.

A new teaser posted on Instagram points to the fact the M3 Touring will have an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Based on the official fuel consumption figures posted below the image, the Touring is more likely to be offered in xDrive Competition guise than base, rear-wheel drive or Competition rear-wheel drive trim.

The claimed fuel consumption on the post is 10.3L/100km, up 0.2L/100km on the all-wheel drive Competition sedan likely due to its extra weight and different aerodynamics.

The higher-spec M3 Competition and M4 Competition have 375kW and 650Nm from their turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six.

The claimed 100km/h sprint time is just 3.5 seconds with xDrive all-wheel drive fitted.

Expect a wagon to be a few tenths of a second slower.

The rear-wheel drive-biased M xDrive system is mated with BMW’s Active M Differential in the M3 and M4, which ensures fully variable distribution of torque between the rear wheels.

You can also switch off the DSC entirely and engage 2WD-only mode.

Reports have suggested the M3 Touring will launch in Europe in 2022, with most global markets receiving it by early 2023.

When it’s revealed, the new long-roofed M car will be the first mass-produced M3 Touring in the model’s long and storied history, the company only ever building a prototype E46 M3 wagon in 2000.

BMW’s reluctance to make an M3 wagon has long proved puzzling, particularly as it has launched M-branded versions of much of its SUV range.

That’s left tuning firms like Alpina to pick up the slack with fettled 3 Series wagons.

It’s also left this niche wide open for the likes of the Audi RS4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 wagons.

BMW has been somewhat more willing to dabble in the segment above, offering an M5 wagon for two short stints: from 1992 to 1995 (the E34) and from 2006 to 2010 (the E60).

MORE: Everything BMW M3