Essentials

BMW M3 Touring

Price: £85,165 Engine: 3 0-litre 6cyl

Power/torque: 503bhp/650Nm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

0-62mph: 3 6 seconds

Top speed: 174mph Economy: 27 7mpg CO2: 230g/km

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indication there’s a huge, open load space behind you. There are myriad driver modes with variations in the engine mapping, suspension, steering and brakes, but every configuration genuinely widens the M3’s remit rather than just offering the driver different options for the sake of it.

There’s incredible urgency from the engine, with a brutal power delivery when turned right up to its most aggressive mode This immense power is balanced by precise and responsive steering, and the car’s suspension provides superb body control without being too stiff for everyday use

The M3 Competition Touring feels like a labour of love from BMW, primarily because that’s exactly what it is As a result it doesn’t just feel like another derivative of an existing model, but an M car in its own right and the purest expression of the ultimate highperformance family car It’s late to the fast estate party, but on the evidence of this first drive, the M3 Touring has put the Audi RS 4 Avant and Mercedes-AMG C63 S in the shade