That BMW M3 Touring GT3 Evo Is Actually Real

BMW was one of the few automakers that gave us a good pranking on April Fools’ Day, revealing the M2 Dakar off-road sport coupe and the M3 Touring GT3 Evo race wagon, neither of which actually exist – or so we thought. The more gullible types in our office who hoped desperately for some truth to the joke are feeling their vindication today, as the high-performance station wagon made an appearance on Instagram in the metal. The project, apparently thought up by freelance creative director Simon von Broich, actually became reality as his team turned a long-roof M3 into a car that’s ready for FIA Group GT3.

The Already Special Wagon Gets A Bespoke Body

In its transformation from “mild-mannered” 543-horsepower super-wagon to race-ready sports car, the M3 needed some avowedly special bodywork. Since the body panels for a GT3 estate car didn’t exist, von Broich’s team needed to specially craft the wider front and rear fenders, aggressive aero package, and unique side glass, manufacturing new parts “to the highest standard,” according to the creator. Some bits may have been borrowed from the similar M4 GT3 Evo race car, like the headlights, hood, and front bumper, but much of the rest needed to be built specifically for the M3 Touring.

One of the most appealing (and likely challenging) aspects of the design is the set of air inlets mounted just ahead of the rear wheels. Taking residence on the wagon’s vestigial rear doors, the aero openings ape the look of the M4 GT3 very well, and crafting them for the Touring must have been rather difficult given the wagon’s unique bodystyle. The look also makes us wish BMW would implement more seamlessly faired-in wheel arch extensions on its production M3s – the cars use the same rear doors as their non-M equivalents, which forces the flares into some awkward contortions relative to the coupe.

No Word On Mechanicals Under The Skin

It remains to be seen whether von Broich and his team updated the M3 Touring’s running gear to keep pace with the wild bodywork. The suspension has clearly been modified to fit the car’s width – at 80.3 inches abreast, the BMW M4 GT3 Evo race car is nearly 5 ticks wider than a standard M3 Touring. And the wagon clearly rides a lot lower than its showroom-stock counterpart, hunkered down over its Pirelli P Zero racing slicks.

Von Brovich’s Instagram post primarily focuses on his team’s efforts as designers, so we’re not inclined to think there’s anything special under the hood. Still, assuming there’s an M3 CS hiding behind the restyling, that still means plenty of power from its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six. Even if it’s merely a base M3 Touring, there would still be 523 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque to play with, plenty to have some fun given the grippier, stiffer suspension on offer.

The BMW M3 Touring GT3 Evo will likely remain a mere design experiment. We’re not sure what – if any – effect the wagon body would have on weight or aerodynamics compared to the similar M4 racer, but the company probably won’t undertake the research to figure out those details given it already has a successful car in the two-door. But as one Insta commenter said, a touring car series for Tourings is a great idea.

Source: Simon von Broich on Instagram