Since its inception in 1972, BMW Motorsport GmbH has tastefully blended a unique balance of visually striking designs, with racing inspired performance. Over the course of the past 50 years, there have been 23 different mass-produced vehicles to sport the “M” badge. From saloons, to coupes, and even SUVs; there is a body style for every type of car enthusiast. However, when it comes to performance wagons, there is a glaring hole in the shape of a M3 Touring.
Although BMW produced two versions of an M wagon, the E34 and E61; they’re both a 5-series, they were both produced in extremely limited amounts, and in the case of American citizens, they were never even offered as an option.
One could argue that there should be an M version of each iteration of BMW’s estate car. Sure enough, many have provided a valid argument, but none compare to the idea of an E91 M3 Touring. This is why the E91 M3 is the best M-car, BMW never built.
Business In The Front, Party In The Back: The E9X
The E9x chassis was introduced in the spring of 2005, and was subjected to immediate success. In 2006, it was announced that the E9x 3-Series had been awarded “World Car of the Year” by a panel of judges. However, many factors led BMW to bypass an M3 Touring option. According to BMW Group, the E91 Touring produced 617,929 examples from 2005-2012. Although it was the second most sold version of the E9x, it only accounted for 20% of the 3 million sold.
Another contributing factor was the lack of success for the two M estate cars BMW produced in the past; the E34 and E61. The E34 M5 Touring was only able to produce 891 examples from 1992-1995; that’s just 7% of all E34 M5’s produced. The E61 M5 Touring fared even worse, and although produced more examples than the E34, only accounted for 5% of all E61 M5’s. The lack of a performance 3-series wagon has been a major point of contention for BMW enthusiasts, but luckily, some endearing wagon fans have done what BMW couldn’t; they’ve built the M-car, BMW wouldn’t.
Thor's Hammer
When it comes to reasons why the E9x M3 is in the conversation for best M-car, its best argument lies underneath the hood. Much like its brother, the E61 M5, an entirely new engine was developed for the M3, the S65. The S65 marked the first (and only) time BMW used a naturally aspirated, V8 Engine to power an M-car.
Capable of pushing 414hp, the S65 also provided 295 lb-ft of torque, and sang a glorious song all the way up to 8,300 rpm. It was a huge success from its arrival in 2008, winning the International Engine of the Year award for 3.0L-4.0L for 5 years in a row from 2008-2012, virtually every year it was produced. The engine drew its inspiration from the BMW Sauber Formula 1 team’s eight-cylinder engine, even going so far as to develop the S65 in the same metal foundry as the Formula 1 example.
Doing so allowed the engineers to develop an engine with its quintessential double VANOS, individual throttle bodies, and an ECU tune that led to an extremely light motor at only 202kg. As with any engine, it did have its drawbacks. For instance, its major flaw is that has been known to spin a rod bearing and blow a hole in the motor.
However, according bmwtuning.co, this happened on less than 1% of cars, and was likely a result of extended periods of time between oil changes. Issues notwithstanding, the legacy of the S65 will always outweigh the negatives it possessed. After all, it is the last naturally aspirated engine BMW offered in the M-car.
A Master Of Understatement
Which brings us to our final, and most important reason an M3 Touring would be the greatest M-car; its styling. Seen as nothing more than a grocery-getter, station wagons have quite a pedestrian look.
For the generations of kids who grew up in the back of a wagon, it always seemed to be the parent-mobile, incapable of enticing the enthusiast. Eloquently put, the E91 M3 Touring would make for the ultimate sleeper car. For those not familiar, a sleeper, also known as a Q-car, is a vehicle that is capable of high-performance, while sporting an unassuming exterior.
Although more muscular than the standard production car, the release of the E9x M3 proved to be quite a tame design compared to M-cars of the past. Even when fitted to an E91 Touring, the muscular hood and flared fenders look rather subdued compared to the E9x M3’s contemporaries in the high-performance executive car category. While it’s not as unassuming as say, the C63 AMG, it is much more modest compared to the likes of the Lexus IS-F, Audi RS4, or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
With the perfect blend of functionality and practicality, paired with legendary BMW M performance, the E91 M3 Touring is the ideal vehicle capable of daily-driving duties during the week, and weekend track duties, no flatbed or tow required. It’s just a shame the greatest M-car only exists in our hearts, and a few dedicated enthusiasts’ garages.