Only those responsible for the BMW M will be able to answer why they waited for six generations of M3 to finally give the green light to the production of an M3 van. However, this does not mean that this possibility had not been considered in the past and this prototype, fully functional, of a BMW M3 Touring E46 is proof of that.
We have to go back to the year 2000, the same year in which we met the E46 generation of the M3 — the last to be awarded a six-cylinder in an atmospheric line — to find such an elusive proposal.
The odds of there being a BMW M3 Touring E46 at the time were favourable. The production of the unprecedented M3 variant was under consideration and even justified the development of this prototype by the team of engineers at BMW M.
technically feasible
The purpose of the prototype was to ascertain its technical feasibility. As explained in 2016 by Jakob Polschak, head of prototype development at BMW M at the time:
"This prototype allowed us to demonstrate that, at least from a purely technical point of view, it was possible to integrate the M3 Touring into the regular BMW 3 Series Touring production line with very little difficulty."
This point was of vital importance in order to keep production costs under control. The rub resided precisely in the M3 Touring's rear doors — the “normal” Series 3 Touring doors were incompatible with the M3's flared wheel arches.
In other words, to have an M3 Touring, it might be necessary to develop and produce specific tailgates, a cost-prohibitive option — perhaps the same reason behind the non-existence of a four-door M3 E46. But Jakob Polschak and his team even managed to solve the problem:
“An important aspect was to demonstrate that the rear doors of the regular model could be reworked to adapt them to the rear wheel arches without the need for new and costly (production) tools. After going through the production line (of the regular model), the M3 Touring would then require only minimal manual work to, for example, assemble additional and M-specific parts and interior details.”
Problem solved. So why wasn't there a BMW M3 Touring E46?
It's a good question, but the truth is that an official answer was never put forward by the BMW M. We can only speculate: from the uncertainties about the success that an M3 van could have, to leaving this type of proposal to the Alpina that it had , and has in catalog the no less interesting B3 Touring.Subscribe to our newsletter
What is certain is that, like the M3 Coupé, the M3 van had what it takes to be as phenomenal as this one. It would, at the very least, be a formidable rival for the Audi RS 4 Avant (B5 generation, 381 hp twin-turbo V6, quattro drive) and the rarest Mercedes-Benz C 32 AMG (W203 generation, V6 Supercharged, 354 hp and… five-speed automatic transmission).
Van, yes, but an M3 first
The more practical and versatile shape could be distinguished, but underneath the body, the BMW M3 Touring E46 was identical to the M3 Coupé in every way.
Underneath the same aluminum hood as the M3 Coupé also resided the same block of In-line six-cylinder 3246cc S54, gloriously atmospheric, capable of delivering 343hp at 7900rpm . The transmission was made only and only to the rear wheels, via a six-speed manual gearbox — the most desired ingredients, but associated with a more usable packaging...
It even seems a lie that they did not advance with the production of such a proposal.
