It’s often said that people tell the truth when they’re joking. In this case, a light-hearted prank is exactly what sparked a brand-new BMW race car that has now been unveiled.
From April Fools’ joke to BMW M3 Touring 24H reality
Almost a year ago - on 1 April 2025 - BMW M Motorsport shared the first images on social media of a competition-spec BMW M3 Touring. Excitement among fans rose quickly, only to be promptly dashed when everyone realised it was April Fools’ Day.
BMW M noticed just how positive the reaction was. Instead of leaving it as a “lie”, the brand chose to turn it into something real and tangible. The end result is the car shown in the images: the BMW M3 Touring 24H, race-ready and set to make its debut in just a few weeks.
Under the bonnet: M4 GT3 EVO foundations
Built in only eight months, the racing version of the M3 Touring uses exactly the same technical base as the M4 GT3 EVO, which currently competes in the world’s leading endurance events.
In other words, under the bonnet the M3 Touring 24H is powered by an evolution of the in-line six-cylinder (S58) from the road car: a 3.0-litre twin-turbo unit producing up to 590 hp.
Aerodynamics and dimensions of the BMW M3 Touring 24H
On the outside, the estate body shape created additional aerodynamic challenges - both in terms of top speed on straights and aerodynamic efficiency through fast corners. That forced BMW M to move the enormous rear wing - inherited from the M4 GT3 EVO - further away from the body, developing new “swan-neck” mounts to support it.
The outcome? With the wing included, the M3 Touring 24H is 200 mm longer and 32 mm taller than the M4 GT3 EVO.
Objective: 24 Hours of Nürburgring
The BMW M3 Touring 24H will make its first appearance as soon as next weekend, at the next round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie which, as the name suggests, takes place at the Nürburgring circuit. It will act as a test for the project’s real target: competing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (14–17 May) in the SPX class - the M4 GT3 EVO cars fighting for overall victory run in the top SP9 category.
Entered by Schubert Motorsport, the M3 Touring 24H will be shared by four official BMW drivers: Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde, Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen.
For this first preparatory race, BMW’s super-estate also carries a curious detail: its livery includes various comments left by fans on the original 1 April post that started the whole project. A new livery is planned for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
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