Should you buy one?

On paper, the Touring should be the best BMW M3 of them all. It takes all the best aspects of the saloon and adds in a welcome dose of additional practicality, making it more relevant for more buyers. But when you’re talking about a family estate car that can be optioned up to more than £100,000, the normal rules don’t really apply.

Having said that, it’s brilliant, with near-supercar levels of performance and brakes, and almost all the agility and feedback you’d reasonably expect from a BMW M3. Its closest rival is the Audi RS4 Avant, and the M3 is better than that thanks to its superior dynamics. We’d take one over a Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate, too, on the strength of its more emotional engine and nicer interior.

It is a supremely capable and confident car in which to drive quickly, reaching 62mph in 3.6 seconds, and 100 a handful after that. So, all but the most super of supercars would out-pace the M3 Touring, but none would be anywhere near as practical. If it’s about pure driving experience, the M3 saloon and M4 coupe pip it, but we’re talking fractional differences, though. So in answer to the question at the top of the page – yes, but only if a saloon or coupe simply won’t do.

What we like

The way it accelerates, corners and steers. The soundtrack is amusing, too, and thanks to a seriously-configurable set of drive modes, you can dial it in to your personal preferences without too many tears. It also is practical – to a point – and will attract way less attention than other more overt supercars.

What we don’t like

The looks are divisive, and although it is a very special piece of kit, you’ll pay handsomely for the privilege. Also, is 510hp really necessary on the UK’s crowded roads? Of course not, it’s an indulgence – but one when you take logic into account is difficult to recommend over an M340i.

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