BMW M3 Touring Lands in Thailand in Single M3 Competition Variant

It seems that the elusive G81-gen BMW M3 Touring has made its debut in yet another ASEAN country, this time taking place in the neighbouring Northern kingdom of Thailand. The Thai-bound M3 Touring will all come in the top-specced M3 Competition variant, just like the ones we saw in the neighbouring island republic of Singapore earlier this year.

G81 BMW M3 Touring Competition

Just like the Lion City ones, the Thai-bound M3 Touring is powered by a peppy 3.0-litre inline-six M TwinPower Turbo mill that delivers over 510 HP and 650 NM to boot. All said power is sent to all four wheels via the marque’s proprietary M xDrive all-wheel drive (AWD) system, facilitated by the eight-speed M Steptronic automatic transmission with Drivelogic technology.

This setup grants the M3 Touring Competition a nought to 100 KM/H sprint finish in just 3.6 seconds. Flat out, this ‘family-friendly’ M car is capable of reaching a top speed of 250 KM/H. Still think that’s not enough? You can opt to disengage the speed limiter via the M Driver’s package, which increases them to 280 KM/H instead.

Like any other M models, the M3 Touring is primed with a bevy of carbon fibre parts

Aside from the M xDrive, another M’s signature dish that also appears in the Thai-spec M3 Touring is the Active M Differential, Adaptive M Suspension, M Servotronic steering, M Traction Control, M Exhaust System, as well as the M Compound Braking System. You can also upgrade the latter for M Carbon Ceramic ones, just in case.

Visually, the Thai-spec M3 Touring mirrors the Singapore ones, primed with sporty bits and M parts, including the massive M kidney front grille design, a slew of M badges around the exterior, as well as the 19- and 20-inch M light alloy wheels the car rides on. Unlike other M cars, however, the M3 Touring doesn’t get a carbon fibre roof, but instead the roof is painted gloss black, giving this super-wagon a two-tone finish.

On board, things also remain pretty much the same, as the M3 Touring is laced with a bevy of M parts. At the front, you’ll get things like the BMW Curved Display that features M-specific graphics design and widgets, M Sport steering wheel and many more. The front M Sports seats can be upgraded to the M Carbon buckets, if desired.

What sets the M3 Touring apart from its sedan twin is the larger cargo space which adds some practicality to this otherwise performance-oriented car. As standard, the M3 Touring boasts a 500-litre cargo space, which can be further extended to 1,510-litres thanks to the 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats. This, in turn, makes the M3 Touring an ideal one-for-all vehicle that can cater both your daily and sporting needs.

The G81 BMW M3 Touring Competition is currently available for booking in Thailand, with its price starting from THB 10.399 million (RM1,381,022), excluding any of the aforementioned add-ons. For comparison, the same model is on sale for SG$560,888 (RM1,839,448) in Singapore, but that is exclusive of the notoriously hard-to-get Certificate of Entitlement (COE) bidding cost.

It seems that the BMW M3 Touring has skipped Malaysia yet again and went directly to Thailand instead. As for now, BMW Malaysia does not offer a single touring/wagon model in its current line-up, perhaps due to the low demands and the unprecedented surge of demands for SUVs.

However, the firm has kept themselves busy this month by launching four new models in the span of 30 days. This includes the striking BMW XM Label Red, the next-gen G70 BMW 7 Series saloon, the BMW iX1 EV SUV, as well as the M3’s electrified twin, the BMW i4 M50.

So folks, what do you think of the BMW M3 Touring Competition? Would you be keen to see this super-wagon tearing down the streets of Malaysia soon? Or would you prefer it's more subdued but equally stylish non-M twin? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, then…