BMW’s M3 Touring has been the world’s most desired performance wagon for the past couple of years, but it’s about to get some stiff competition from another couple of M-branded haulers.
The M guys are working on two more hot wagons and our spy photo team snapped prototypes of both hanging out at a gas station in northern Sweden. One is the M3 CS Touring, and the other is the M5 Touring, which appeared together alongside a sedan version of the next M5.
Of the three it’s the CS wagon we know most about because it’s essentially a square-back version of the M3 CS sedan BMW revealed last year. That followed on the heels of the coupe-only M4 CSL, and shared the same upgraded 542 hp (550 PS) version of BMW’s 3.0-liter inline six. But while the CSL sent its power to the rear wheels only, the CS got BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system, meaning it was actually quicker to 60 mph (96 km/h).
The CS sedan also got an ankle-chopping front splitter which we can see on the green wagon in these pictures, and while it doesn’t yet have the CS-specific grille, we can assume its equipped with the uprated sedan’s tweaked geometry, anti-roll bars and dampers.
Sadly, since the M3 Touring isn’t offered in North America, there’s no chance of the CS variant making the journey either. So U.S.-based fans only hopes of accessing a BMW M wagon rest on the M5 Touring, and even that’s not 100 per cent confirmed for the region; America might only get the M5 sedan. Which is still going to be epically fast thanks to a hybrid-assisted twin-turbo V8 that could deliver the same 738 hp (748 PS) the powertrain does in the XM Label Red SUV. But the wagon is definitely the cooler of the pair.
Related: BMW M3 CS Touring Could Launch In 2025, Capped At 2,000 Units
Both M5 seen here are much stealthier than the M3, and even if you’re not a big fan of the smaller car’s jumbo grille, you can’t deny that it packs the bigger visual punch. But which will have the bigger price?
The CS sedan cost $118,700 in the U.S., a big step up from the $84,300 you need to find for an M3 Competition xDrive, and hypothetically speaking, were the M3 CS Touring available, it would cost another few grand on top. The next M5, on the other hand, is expected to cost around $120k, with a small mark-up for the Touring body. Which would you go for?
