Since the E30 M3 appeared in 1986, BMW has offered their fast 3 Series as either a saloon or coupe. Despite relentless calls from M car owners and the wider automotive community for an M3 Touring, a fast estate variant has remained curiously absent from BMW’s model range. The company dabbled with the E34 M5 Touring in the early to mid-nineties, and the E61 in the late noughties, but neither were a sales success despite their somewhat posthumous popularity, and were likely the reason for the M3 never receiving the estate car treatment. Also, making a Touring isn’t just about shoving an estate car bodyshell on an M3 chassis and adding it to the model range. No, BMW drivers want the extra practicality without sacrificing the handling characteristics of the saloon car – ultimate driving machine and all that – meaning BMW had to think this one through if they wanted to produce a car that could live up to expectations.

In many respects the current platform has been the perfect place to start from. Weighing 1,780kg at the kerb, the G80 is already somewhat porkier than the M3s which came before it, but does an exceptional job of masking its weight. The Touring (codenamed G81) is only 85 kilos heavier than the saloon, 25kg of which is thanks to extra bracing at the rear to improve body stiffness. The body shell is also bespoke and does without the carbon roof, the front dampers have been recalibrated and the rears are new. Given the extra weight and higher centre of gravity, you would think the Touring would give away at least some straight line performance and dynamic ability, but truth be told, you’re hard pushed to tell the difference on the public road, especially given it comes with xDrive as standard.

Stationary to 62mph is done in just 3.7 seconds and the top speed it limited to 174mph. The performance comes via a turbocharged 3.0 litre straight-six engine which puts out 503bhp and 479lb ft. of the twisty stuff. In a straight line it is a shockingly quick car with fantastic throttle response for a twin-turbo motor, and offers up all the performance you could ever need on the public road. The only downside is that the engine isn’t the most charismatic six cylinder, but at least it’s not a four-pot. Mercedes-AMG we’re looking at you…

However, you soon forget about the uninspiring vocals and extra weight when you realise that somehow BMW has made the wagon handle exactly like the saloon car. Call it witchcraft, magic, or just good ol’ German engineering, whatever it is, they’ve pulled it out the Karl Lagerfeld. It feels properly dialled in to the road thanks to its meaty steering and eagerness to turn, and despite the 4WD system, the rear still comes round to meet you when you tap the throttle mid corner. In fact, only a maximum of 50 per cent of the power ever goes to the front wheels which gives the feel of a rear wheel drive car. If you want to disconnect the front driveshafts entirely, just dip in to the driver set up and configure it accordingly, then marvel at how it can transform from an all-weather super wagon to tail wagging, rear tyre killing M car. The really clever bit is that it has a ten stage traction control system, so you can pick your preferred level of hoonery depending on your skill level and confidence. That’s typical, dry, German humour if ever I’ve seen it.

Because of the extra bracing and the staggered alloys – 19s at the front, 20s at the rear – the ride is a little on the firm side in the Sport+ driving mode, but it’s not so stiff that it gets deflected by bumps in the road. The ride may be purposeful, but the body control is tight and it still rounds off the worst of our broken tarmac. If you want a sportier set up but would also like the dampers in the softer setting, then you can configure the different parameters and map them to the M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel. However, one thing that’s a little disappointing no matter how aggressive you go with the settings is the eight-speed ZF gearbox. It may be a smooth, daily companion that never skips a beat when you’re just going about your business, but it doesn’t possess the snappy gear changes of a twin-clutch, and in like every other M car, it’s the weak link in the package.

Now, we can’t talk about a Touring without discussing how practical it is. The boot commands 500 litres of boot space and with the rear seats folded down that figure swells to just over 1,500 litres. To test this, we decided to load up the Touring with suitcases, boxes, a Christmas tree and some alloys from an EP3 Honda Civic Type R, and go for a drive. If you want to see how the M3 faired and how I nearly broke my back in the process, then check out the YouTube video using the QR code on this page. Also, doesn’t it look even cooler with a bike on the roof? Needless to say, the Beamer doesn’t disappoint in the practicality stakes. It swallows a whole lot of stuff including the dog, which makes ferrying the family, their luggage and fury companions around an easy task. We just don’t recommend using all 503bhp if your cargo is capable of reliving its lunch.

The rest of the cabin is exactly the same as the one you’ll find in the G80 which is no bad thing at all. This comment might be a little subjective, but I for one prefer BMW’s current interiors to those you find in an Audi or Mercedes-Benz. Like its competitors, the build quality is high and the material choices are excellent, but most importantly, there are plenty of physical buttons to use. iDrive also continues to be one of the best infotainment systems you’ll find in any production vehicle, and if you don’t want to use the touchscreen, you can simply use the clickwheel to make your selections. As per the BMW way, the seating position is also spot on with loads of adjustment options.

As you would expect of a car that’s this capable and been in such demand for so long, it doesn’t come cheap. The base price is £80,550 and our press vehicle was loaded with options sufficient to tip it in to six figures, or £100,150. Admittedly, a lot of that was carbon fibre although we do recommend the M Pro Pack which includes carbon ceramic brakes and the VMAX increase to 174mph. This admittedly sounds like a heck of a lot of money for an M3, and we would be inclined to agree, but the Touring is a bit more special than that. What it is, is a Swiss army knife on wheels. It’s infinitely cooler than an SUV but just as practical, it handles better than an Audi RS6, and it offers far more performance than you realistically need. It’s also incredibly desirable. The M3 Touring is the M car we’ve all been waiting for, and I’m delighted to say that BMW has absolutely nailed it.