Over the course of its illustrious 30-year history, the BMW M3 has been offered as a coupe, a convertible, and a sedan, but it has never been available as a station wagon. That could change soon as a new report indicates BMW will introduce the first-ever M3 wagon at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which will open its doors next fall.
The M3 wagon will be aimed right at the 469-horsepower Mercedes-AMG C63 and the 450-horsepower Audi RS4 Avant, two of the hottest station wagons available in Europe. Like its sedan counterpart, the wagon will be powered by a 3.0-liter straight-six engine that uses two large turbochargers to generate 425 horsepower and 406 foot-pounds of torque from 1,850 to 5,500 rpm.
Buyers will be asked to choose between a six-speed manual transmission with a rev-matching function and a seven-speed dual-clutch unit controlled by shift paddles. The M3 wagon should be able to hit 62 mph from a stop in about 4.3 seconds — 0.2 seconds slower than the sedan — when equipped with three pedals, and in 4.1 seconds when fitted with only two.
Visually, the M3 will stand out from the regular wagon thanks to a heavily-sculpted front bumper, a power dome hood, and 19-inch alloys tucked under flared fenders. Air Breathers — BMW-speak for fender vents — will optimize air flow around the front wheel arches, while the back end will gain a discreet spoiler and a large air diffuser with four tail pipes.
If the rumor turns out to be true, the family-friendly M3 wagon will be introduced online in the weeks leading up to the Frankfurt Motor Show. It will go on sale across Europe early next year but it might not be sold in the United States, where the market for station wagons — especially expensive, hot-rodded ones — has historically been small at best.
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