Building the E91 M3 Touring That Should Have Been…

Introduction

In 2022, BMW launched the first production M3 Touring, the G81 M3 Touring. Prior to this, the only M3 Touring ever built by BMW was a prototype based on the E46 M3. Created in the late 1990s as an engineering exercise, the E46 M3 Touring remained largely hidden from public view until 2016, when BMW finally displayed it to the public.

A decade earlier, in 2007, BMW had launched the E92 M3, with the E90 M3 saloon and E93 M3 Convertible following in 2008. At the time, BMW's rivals were already offering high-performance V8-powered estates alongside their saloon and coupé counterparts. Mercedes-Benz offered the C63 AMG in Saloon, Coupé and Estate forms, while Audi's B7 RS4 was available as a Saloon, Avant and Cabriolet.

An M3 Touring therefore seemed like an obvious addition to the E9x M3 range. Whether BMW ever seriously considered putting the S65 V8 into an E91 Touring remains a matter of speculation, but no production E91 M3 was ever announced. One possible consideration may have been the relatively limited sales of the E61 M5 Touring, which demonstrated the challenges of producing a high-performance estate for a relatively small market.

For many enthusiasts, however, the absence of a factory-built E91 M3 Touring has never stopped the idea from being compelling.

Over the years, numerous E91s have been converted into M3-powered Tourings, each offering its own interpretation of what BMW might have built. But creating a convincing E91 M3 Touring is about far more than simply fitting an S65 V8 into an E91 shell. The challenge lies in bringing together the engine, drivetrain, electronics, chassis, bodywork and interior in a way that feels as though the car could have left BMW's factory.

That is where our E91 M3 Touring builds begin.

Our Approach

Our aim with each E91 M3 Touring build is not simply to create an E91 with an S65 V8. It is to build a complete, coherent car that feels as though it could have been developed by BMW from the outset.

We use genuine BMW components and retain the integration between the engine, drivetrain, electronics, chassis, bodywork and interior. The objective is to create a convincing interpretation of the car BMW could have offered during the E9x M3's production era: a period-correct high-performance Touring capable of standing alongside cars such as the Audi RS4 Avant and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate.

The goal is to capture the character of a car that could realistically have existed within BMW's E9x M3 range. Rather than simply combining M3 components with an E91, we consider how those components should work together to create a cohesive, factory-style car — one that retains the practicality and character of the Touring while delivering the performance and character expected of an M3.

To preserve that focus, Garching Werke will build just 10 E91 M3 Tourings. Each car will be individually specified and built with the same underlying philosophy, making every example a considered interpretation of the E91 M3 Touring rather than a mass-produced conversion.