The human who was behind the wheel of the first autonomous car to kill a pedestrian has avoided jail time – while ride-sharing giant Uber has continued to dodge criminal responsibility for the fatal incident.
Image credit: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images
The ‘driver’ of an autonomous car – operated by ride-sharing giant Uber – which killed a pedestrian has reportedly been sentenced to three years of supervised probation, more than five years after the fatal incident occurred.
In March 2018, 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg was fatally struck by an Uber autonomous test vehicle in Tempe, Arizona – becoming the first pedestrian to be killed by a ‘self-driving’ car globally.
In 2019, an National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found the autonomous car’s human ‘safety back-up driver’, Rafaela Vasquez, was not looking at the road as she was legally required to throughout the journey – instead alleging she was watching a TV show on her mobile phone.
While Ms Vasquez was charged with negligent homicide in 2020, technology publication Wired reports she recently pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of endangerment, resulting in a Maricopa County court handing down the three-year probation sentence this week.
The Uber autonomous car which fatally struck Ms Herzberg was later used in an investigation by the NTSB
The publication reports Ms Vasquez could have faced four to eight years in jail had she been charged with negligent homicide, prompting her guilty plea to the lesser charge.
According to news agency Reuters, the NTSB investigation found Uber made a “series of development decisions that contributed to the crash’s cause” – which included the modified autonomous Volvo XC90’s software not identifying Ms Herzberd as a pedestrian, or recognising Ms Vasquez did not have the ability to react to an emergency situation.
However, Uber was not held criminally responsible for the fatal incident and sold its autonomous driving technology division – Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) – to start-up Aurora for $US4 billion ($AU6bn) in December 2020.
Wired reports there had been several Uber employees who complained about the company’s disregard for safety and complacency while developing and testing its autonomous driving systems, though these have not been officially investigated.
Kevin George Aziz Riad is the first reported driver of a semi-autonomous car to be charged for their role in a fatal crash
The sentencing of Ms Vasquez comes less than a month after the driver of a Tesla which killed two motorists after running a red light – while being operated in its so-called ‘Autopilot’ mode – was sentenced to house arrest and community service but has avoided jail time.
The landmark legal case demonstrated drivers of semi-autonomous cars are still responsible for their vehicles even when in semi-autonomous driving modes that utilise systems such as radar cruise control and lane-keeping assistance.
Kevin George Aziz Riad became the first reported driver of a semi-autonomous car to be charged for their role in a fatal crash after his Tesla Model S sedan – operating in its ‘Autopilot’ semi-autonomous mode – it exited a freeway and ran a red light in south-east Los Angeles.
The Tesla crashed into a stationary Honda Civic at 119km/h, killing the two occupants of the Honda – Gilberto Lopez and Maria Guadalupe Nieves-Lopez – while Mr Riad and his passenger were hospitalised with non-life threatening injuries.
Mr Riad pleaded no contest to two counts of vehicular manslaughter – allowing him to avoid an admission of guilt but accept the conviction – and was sentenced to two years of probation, 31 days of work service, 100 hours of community service, 90 days of house arrest, and a “hospital and morgue program”.
Car companies in the US will be forced to drastically reduce the average fuel economy rating of their model line-ups within a decade, if a proposal from the US Government becomes law.
The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has put forward a proposal that would require all new cars to meet strict fuel economy standards by 2032.
While it has yet to be enacted, it would require the average fleet of a car-maker to meet 58 miles per gallon by 2032 – or approximately 4.06 litres per 100 kilometres.
Under the proposal – known as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFE) for 2027 to 2032 passenger cars and light trucks – all new vehicles would require gradual improvements over the five-year period.
The sliding-scale approach seeks a 2 per cent annual improvement in fuel economy for passenger cars, a 4 per cent annual improvement for SUVs and pick-ups with a gross weight of up to 3860kg, and a 10 per cent annual improvement to commercial pick-ups and vans up to 6350kg.
While every new car sold by companies in the US won’t be required to meet the standard individually, the overall average of their model line-ups will be required to reach a fuel economy rating of 4.06L/100km or less.
The rating system means car-makers can continue to produce and sell vehicles with larger gas-guzzling engines, provided they have enough models – including electric vehicles – in their model range offering fuel economy ratings to bring the average in below the standard.
In 2011, Aston Martin famously introduced the Cygnet to the UK market – a rebadged version of the Toyota iQ city car, featuring a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine – specifically to reduce the average emissions of its new-car fleet in order to comply with European regulations.
The emissions output of the Cygnet brought Aston Martin’s average down to within an acceptable range, allowing the UK sports-car company to continue to offer cars powered by older V8 and V12 engines – before it switched to more modern engines sourced from Mercedes-AMG.
NHTSA claims the latest proposed changes will save the average motorist $US1043 ($AU1564) in fuel over the life of the vehicle – adding up to more than $US50 billion ($AU75 billion) in savings – while also cutting the country’s dependence on petrol by as much as 333 billion litres by 2050.
Furthermore, 900 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions would also be prevented from being released into the atmosphere – or the equivalent of removing 233 million vehicles off the road between 2022 and 2050, the organisation says.
NHTSA’s proposal is in lock-step with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s five-year plan released in April 2023, which would require passenger car emissions to be reduced to 82 grams of CO2 per mile (51g/km) by 2032.
NHTSA is seeking public feedback over the fuel economy proposal over a 60-day window, during which it says it will “engage with a broad set of stakeholders during this period, including consumers, unions, automakers, states, environmental groups and others”.
A Mitsubishi-badged competitor to the Ford Ranger Raptor is under consideration – and the upgrades could go beyond uprated suspension, tyres and looks.
Mitsubishi has given the best indication yet there is an intention to launch a high-performance Mitsubishi Triton Ralliart ute to rival the Ford Ranger Raptor, Toyota HiLux GR Sport and Nissan Navara Warrior.
Company executives say a high-performance variant of the new-generation Triton is “under consideration”, and plans are yet to be finalised for a flagship version of Mitsubishi’s all-new ute.
The chief product specialist for the new Mitsubishi Triton now said a range of Ralliart variants are on the cards – from an appearance pack for the standard vehicle, to a full Ford Ranger Raptor competitor with more power than regular models.
“In the pick-up we have a base [standard] model – we have different versions based on the customer. And then [we could have a] sports version, a rally version – a Ralliart maybe? I don’t know,” chief product specialist Yoshiki Masuda told Australian media.
When asked the direction Mitsubishi would take with a Triton Ralliart – suspension, tyre and visual upgrades only, as per the Nissan Navara Warrior and Toyota HiLux GR Sport, or more comprehensive changes including more power – Masuda-san said:
“It’s now in consideration. But when we introduce the Ralliart maybe in the future, we would have some grades.
“Some people want to have cosmetic [changes] to get an affordable price, but some people [want] a super powerful and sporty model.
“Maybe we want to set several grades depending on customer preference for different sporty models.”
The 2.4-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine in the top-of-the-range Mitsubishi Triton today develops 150kW and 470Nm.
Executives have shown interest in a V6 version of the new Triton – and said six cylinders would likely fit in the engine bay – but doubt has been cast over whether Mitsubishi has access to a suitable V6 to use in the new pick-up.
Mitsubishi has experimented with a flagship version of the current-generation Triton, in the Xtreme special edition due in Australian showrooms later this year – a few months before the new model arrives.
While it has the support of Mitsubishi Australia, the upgrades have been designed and built by Walkinshaw Automotive Group – the former parent company of Holden Special Vehicles – and the project was proposed by Walkinshaw to Mitsubishi, not the other way around.
Mitsubishi’s revived Ralliart performance-car division now competes in the Asia Cross-Country Rally for utes, first with a race-prepared version of the outgoing Triton last year, and from this year’s event the new-generation Triton.
Executives have previously been candid about a link between learnings from the race vehicle, and applying it to future road-going models.
“We’ve been participating in a lot of competition [with the current Mitsubishi Triton] and actually the purpose of doing that is not just for promotion, but also to gain a lot of information from very severe usage,” Mitsubishi Motors product strategy chief Koichi Namiki told Australian media earlier this year.
“What we have done is to put many sensors on [the vehicle] and collected a lot of information from that … including how the vehicle withstands such severe usage.”
The Australian division of Volkswagen-owned Spanish car maker Cupra is considering a high-performance Leon wagon – capable of 0-100km/h in less than five seconds.
UPDATE, 1 August 2023: Volkswagen-owned Spanish car maker Cupra has shown further interest in the Cupra Leon wagon for Australian showrooms.
In a press release overnight detailing its one-year anniversary in Australia, Cupra said “hard thought is being given” to the Leon wagon – known as the Sportstourer overseas, and a twin to the VW Golf wagon – for local showrooms.
“The obvious Sportstourer variant, given [the] Cupra customer’s preference for the quickest and the best-equipped, is the 228kW all-wheel-drive range topper,” Cupra Australia director Ben Wilks said in a media statement.
“There are other versions that suggest themselves. We’ll see.” Cupra has previously expressed interest in VZx petrol all-wheel-drive and VZe plug-in hybrid front-drive versions of the Leon wagon.
Since our original story was published last month (below), Volkswagen has confirmed plans to axe the Golf wagon locally, creating room for a long-roof Leon Sportstourer VZx to succeed the soon-to-be-defunct Golf R wagon in Australia.
Alex Misoyannis
10 July 2023: Cupra Australia is in talks with head office in Europe to import the Cupra Leon wagon – known in overseas markets as the Leon Sportstourer, and the twin to the Volkswagen Golf wagon.
Head of product and planning for Cupra Australia, Jeff Shafer, told Drive the Volkswagen-owned Spanish car maker – which launched in Australia last year – is interested in adding a high-performance wagon to the brand’s local line-up.
“Yes, there is [interest],” Mr Shafer said at this week’s launch of the entry-level Cupra Leon V. “I’m a big fan of a wagon. So it’s definitely on our radar.”
Mr Shafer said if the green light was given to the Sportstourer, Australia would likely receive highly-specified versions, including the plug-in hybrid Sportstourer VZe and the high-performance, all-wheel-drive Sportstourer VZx.
“We’d probably go in with higher-specified versions [like] VZe and VZx,” said Mr Shafer. “It’s not confirmed, but we’re working with the factory to bring it [here].”
The Cupra Leon Sportstourer VZx is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, the same as found in the Leon VZx hatchback, and the VW Golf R.
While the hatchback remains front-wheel drive only, the wagon adds all-wheel drive and produces an extra 7kW over the hatch, with 228kW and 400Nm transmitted via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The benchmark sprint from zero to 100km/h is completed in a claimed 4.9 seconds, matching the Volkswagen Golf R wagon’s claim – despite lower power and torque outputs than the Golf’s 235kW/420Nm.
However the Cupra Leon Sportstourer’s boot – with 620 litres of claimed cargo capacity – eclipses the Golf R wagon’s 611 litres.
Local pricing for the Cupra Leon VZx hatchback ($61,690 plus on-road costs for Model Year 2024 examples) would suggest a circa-$65,000 price tag for the long-roof version if it was to make its way to Australia.
A turbo-diesel V6 could fit under the bonnet of the new Mitsubishi Triton, but there may be no suitable engine available in the Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi range.
Mitsubishi has left the door open to adding turbo-diesel V6 power to the new 2024 Mitsubishi Triton ute later in its life.
But the Japanese car maker faces a number of roadblocks – including finding a suitable engine that meets current emissions laws – before it can build a rival to popular six-cylinder versions of the Ford Ranger and VW Amarok.
The new Mitsubishi Triton will launch solely with a trio of 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine variants, developing up to 150kW and 470Nm in flagship twin-turbocharged guise.
Mitsubishi Triton chief product specialist Yoshiki Masuda told Australian media at the ute’s unveiling a larger engine is not currently in the plan, but six cylinders could fit between the widened frame rails of the new model.
“At the end of the day we chose the 2.4 diesel engine, and some gasoline engines for some countries … At this moment we start with this one, the 2.4,” Masuda-san told media.
When asked by Drive if there is interest in a larger engine, the executive said: “Yeah, of course. The pick-up truck is bigger and more powerful.”
However he cautioned: “But we also have to think about efficiency, CAFE [fuel economy regulations], those kind of things … We haven’t decided.”
When asked the new Triton has been designed – or ‘package protected’ – to accomodate a V6 engine at a later date, Masuda-san said:
“It depends on the V6. We increased the track including the distance of the ladder frame [width of the engine bay], and also the axle mass capacity is significant, so it should be compatible with a bigger engine, a V6 if possible.”
The executive said Mitsubishi has not tested a new Triton with a V6 – and it is not currently in its short-term plans.
The biggest roadblock facing a diesel V6 Triton would be finding a suitable engine within the alliance between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi that meets current passenger-vehicle emissions laws.
Mitsubishi has never sold a diesel V6-powered vehicle in Australia, and Nissan’s last diesel V6 – the 3.0-litre turbo ‘V9X’ in the previous-generation Nissan Navara – went out of production in 2017.
The defunct Mercedes-Benz X-Class ute – based on the current Nissan Navara – used a Mercedes-designed 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6, however it too is out of production for passenger vehicles, and is not believed to meet the latest European emissions rules.
It would likely be off-limits regardless as ties between Mercedes-Benz and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance – which has also spawned twinned compact delivery vans and city cars – have been loosened in recent years, and the companies are looking to go separate ways.
“We are really not sure about the powertrain conversion [within] the Alliance,” Masuda-san said when asked if there is a suitable V6 engine available within the alliance for the Triton.
Development of the Mitsubishi Triton began in 2017, just as the original Volkswagen Amarok V6 was unveiled – and multiple years before plans for a V6 diesel Ford Ranger were known.
Masuda-san said the Ford Ranger was one of the primary benchmarks for the new Triton – though it is unclear if it was the old or new model – alongside the Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.
It’s taken 37 years, but BMW has finally given us what we’ve long wanted – a station wagon variant of its heroic M3.
It seems almost unthinkable that the 2023 BMW M3 Touring (BMW-speak for station wagon) is the first-ever in the M3 range from the brand’s M skunkworks.
Sure, there was a one-off concept back in 2000 based on the then current-generation E46 M3. But it was never intended for production and, in fact, BMW kept the M3 Touring Concept shrouded in secrecy until finally admitting to its existence in 2016.
Now, though, the M3 Touring is the real deal, and not hidden away in some secret underground lair in Munich. And it’s here in Australia, looking to tempt buyers who might previously have considered an Audi RS4 Avant or Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate.
Interestingly, the M3 Touring seems to be doing exactly that with BMW M CEO Frank van Meel telling Drive that “The customers for the M3 Touring are not jumping out of the M3 [sedan]. They are coming from other car brands because they say, ‘we’ve been waiting for a long time’.” And they’re not wrong.
So, what is it exactly then? Glad you asked. In short, the M3 Touring takes all the performance goodness found in the M3 sedan and the M4 coupe and plonks it inside a station wagon body. It’s a high-performance car by stealth, taking the unawares and leaving them wide-eyed and gob-smacked.
How much does the BMW M3 Touring cost in Australia?
The 2023 BMW M3 Touring Competition xDrive, to give it its full title, gets underway at $180,100 plus on-road costs. That represents a marginal $2300 premium over the comparable all-wheel-drive M3 sedan and an $8500 impost over the rear-wheel-drive M3 Competition sedan.
While the M3 sedan is available in several variants, with either a manual or automatic transmission, rear- or all-wheel drive, the M3 Touring is sold exclusively as a highly specified Competition xDrive variant that packs the ‘S58’ 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder petrol engine paired with an all-wheel-drive system and eight-speed automatic transmission.
Its most obvious rival hails from Audi, the RS4 Avant at $157,600 the template for long-roofed performance cars (the first RS4 Avant rolled out of Neckarsulm, Germany in 1999).
Once upon a time, buyers could have considered the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate. But Australia won’t be on the receiving end of Merc’s take on the hot wagon, leaving this pretty much a two-way battle between the newcomer and the old stager.
The M3 Touring certainly packs plenty of punch for its hefty performance-focussed sticker price, detailed here in our comprehensive pricing and specification story – though keep in mind that BMW has pushed prices up since pricing was first announced.
Things can add up pretty quickly with a few options selected. Our test car came with the $17,500 Carbon Experience pack that adds, among other things, some pretty firm and pretty snug carbon-fibre race seats (more on these later), and a smattering of exterior garnishes finished in that oh-so-race-car honeycomb weave.
Our tester’s massive 400mm front and 380mm rear carbon-ceramic brake rotors add another $16,500 to the bottom line, while the Frozen Black paint is a $5000 option. It’s one of several exy hues that add anywhere from $2500 to $7000 depending on the colour chosen.
Inside, our M3 Touring was finished in regular full Merino leather in black.
With options, our $180,100 BMW M3 Touring ran to $219,000 before on-road costs, or around $235,000 drive-away, give or take depending on your location.
Key details
2023 BMW M3 Touring
Price
$181,100 plus on-road costs
Colour of test car
Frozen Black
Options
Carbon Experience Pack – $17,500
– Carbon-fibre front seats
– Carbon-fibre exterior elements
– Voucher for BMW M Driving Experience Advance 1
– Voucher for BMW M Driving Experience Advance 2
– Maximum speed increased from 250km/h to 280km/h
Carbon-ceramic brakes – $16,500
Metallic paint – $5000
How much space does the BMW M3 Touring have inside?
The cabin of the M3 Touring bewilders. Before sliding in, the first thing that hits you are those optional carbon-fibre seats. But the aesthetic gloss of all that exposed honeycomb wears off pretty quickly.
The seats themselves are as hard as, well, carbon fibre, and with large bolsters to clamber over, require a modicum of care when entering the cabin. You sort of lift yourself over the high and hard side protuberances, and plonk down into the firm base. Once inside, there’s no question those seats are snug, something we’d venture you will become grateful for on, say, a racetrack.
But for everyday use, the front seats are hard, tight and a little uncomfortable, exacerbated by a large carbon-fibre and M-badged section that thrusts itself out of the seat base and between your legs.
The real challenge with those seats, though, is extricating yourself from the M3 Touring. There’s no easy way out. Instead, you need to swing your legs over the bolsters, leaving your feet dangling above the footpath or road surface, and then slide your butt over those bolsters with a certain indignity until your feet touch the ground. It’s ungainly, it’s indignant, and for most people it’s pointless.
Unless you plan to hustle your fast estate on the racetrack, you probably don’t need the carbon buckets.
Things improve in row two. Here the Touring starts to shine with plenty of space in all key areas. Better still, the seats are of the regular variety, comfortable and supportive and affording an exit that leaves your dignity intact.
The upside of those carbon seats is that they’re noticeably thinner in their construction and that means more knee room for second-row passengers, while the long roof of the M3 Touring means more head room when compared against the sedan.
Amenities for second-row passengers include separate climate controls and air vents, as well as two USB plugs helping to keep devices charged. The door pockets can take bottles, while a fold-down armrest reveals a pair of cupholders.
Our test car came fitted with standard black Merino leather upholstery, lending the cabin a dark air to complement the semi-matte Frozen Black exterior paint. You can, if you’re the adventurous type, opt for several eye-catching colour combinations for the interior, including red and black, ivory and black, orange and black, blue and black… you get the picture.
Coloured trim options add either $1000 or, if you’ve optioned the carbon seats, $3000 to the bottom line. While garish colour combinations are not usually my bag, I was quite taken with the Ivory White and Black combination fitted to another M3 Touring at the car’s launch in South Australia earlier this month.
The M3 Touring’s biggest asset over the regular M3 sedan or M4 coupe is, of course, out back. It’s here where the estate version of BMW’s performance hero stands tall and begs to be considered. Opening the tailgate reveals a very usable 500L of cargo space, up 20L on the M3 sedan’s boot capacity. Fold the rear seats down in 40:20:40 split fashion and 1510L of storage capacity awaits.
One more party trick awaits M3 Touring owners out back. Press a button discreetly tucked away under the rear windscreen wiper and the rear window will pop upwards and open, making for an easy time if you just want to stash a bag or smaller items back there without opening the entire tailgate. It’s carried over from the regular 3 Series Touring and remains a practical and clever feature.
2023 BMW M3 Touring
Seats
Five
Boot volume
500L seats up
1510L seats folded
Length
4801mm
Width
1903mm
Height
1446mm
Wheelbase
2857mm
Does the BMW M3 Touring have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
BMW has upped the ante in terms of infotainment in recent times, and this M3 Touring is no different. It wears the BMW brand’s new 14.9-inch curved touchscreen that flows neatly into an equally as impressive 12.3-inch digital driver display.
Running BMW’s latest ‘Operating System 8’, the ultra-wide and gently curved screen looks a million bucks.
BMW has made some strides with its latest operating system and the screen itself is responsive to touch inputs. Inputs and selections can also be effected via a rotary dialler nestled in the centre console, buttons on the steering wheel or via a ‘Hey BMW’ voice command. It’s a slick-looking set-up made all the better for a beautifully crisp display.
But, the reliance on the screen can also be annoying, with the 14.9-inch display serving as the M3 Touring’s nerve centre. Everything, from temperature to fan speed, to drive modes, is selected and toggled by pressing, scrolling, swiping and clicking. It’s not the most intuitive level of accessibility.
Certainly, we’d love some physical dials and switches for climate functions, and helpfully there is a knob to control volume, but with modern designers eschewing functionality over style, the user experience does suffer a little.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both wireless and wired, are standard, as is BMW’s proprietary satellite navigation system. We tend to favour CarPlay, and in that regard the system proved faultless, quick to pair, and rock solid and reliable once connected.
The 12.3-inch driver display is configurable to taste and includes some M-specific screens. But in terms of regular driving, the set-up works, and works well, with clear driving data that can be configured in a number of ways.
M-specific features can also be found by digging through the infotainment screen. Here you’ll find a lap timer (handy on the track) as well as a Drift Analyser that measures things like duration and angle before giving a rating out of five stars. Not for public roads, we’d caution, but handy should you ever find yourself, legally, on a skidpan.
Is the BMW M3 Touring a safe car?
The BMW M3 Touring, like its sedan counterpart, remains untested by Australia’s safety body, ANCAP. Nor has it been crash-tested by ANCAP’s European counterpart, Euro NCAP. The BMW 3 Series range, which forms the basis for the M3, has been rated as a five-star vehicle from 2019, hinting at a decent basis for the M3.
2023 BMW M3 Touring
ANCAP rating
Unrated
What safety technology does the BMW M3 Touring have?
A full suite of advanced safety systems underpins the M3 Touring.
It’s carried over from the regular 3 Series and includes autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist and lane-changing assist, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function, front and rear cross-traffic alerts, and blind-spot monitoring.
A suite of airbags covers both rows of occupants, although this model does not feature a centre airbag that’s increasingly common in today’s cars. Centre airbags deploy between the front seats to mitigate head clashes between occupants in the event of a collision.
How much does the BMW M3 Touring cost to maintain?
The M3 Touring is covered by BMW’s standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Service intervals are condition-based, meaning the car will alert you when it’s time to visit the BMW workshop. A five-year/80,000km service plan can be bought at the time of purchase and will set you back $4436.
A year of comprehensive insurance coverage costs approximately $4301 from one leading insurer based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
At a glance
2023 BMW M3 Touring
Warranty
Five years, unlimited km
Service intervals
Condition-based
Servicing costs
$4436 (5 years/80,000km)
Is the BMW M3 Touring fuel-efficient?
BMW claims the M3 Touring will use 10.4L per 100km of premium 98-octane unleaded.
Our week with the hot wagon returned an indicated 11.0L/100km, which is excellent considering we spent a lot of time in traffic, a fair bit of time in touring mode on Sydney’s motorways, and squeezed in some adventurous driving on rural back roads.
If you think the M3 Touring is set up to feel exactly like its sedan and coupe siblings, then think again.
BMW has gone to some lengths to ensure the experience behind the wheel accommodates the extra weight from that longer roof and the idea the cargo area could be loaded with stuff.
To that end, M’s engineers have gone to town, adding extra stiffening struts to the underbody at the rear axle, as well as a new spring, damper and anti-roll bar set both front and rear.
Further, the suspension has been tuned, according to BMW, to carter for “multiple driving scenarios”, specifically designed for this Touring variant.
Certainly, on the road, the M3 Touring feels more compliant than either its sedan or coupe garage mate, with a level of road comfort not always associated with high-performance cars of this nature.
To be clear, there remains an element of firmness to the way the Touring handles the road, but it feels a smidge softer than what we’ve come to expect of late. This is a good thing.
Adaptive dampers can soften the ride when needed, or firm it up confidently when you want, such as when hustling some corners or on the track. And despite its family wagon pretensions, you will want to take it on the track.
We did. And the result is nothing short of stunning.
And it starts with that twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline six under the bulging snout.
In angry mode, BMW’s hero engine roars with that gruffness only a straight six can seem to muster. The sound in the cabin is simply intoxicating.
It’s a drunkenness matched only by the Touring’s unquestionable performance. BMW says 3.6 seconds is all it takes to dispatch the benchmark 0–100km/h sprint, only 0.1sec slower than the M3 xDrive sedan. But that’s just one measure of performance.
Where the Touring shines, really shines, is in just how fast it feels pulling out of corners, how quickly it piles on speed, how agile and lithe it feels under wheel when pushed, and then how emphatically it stops.
It is, in short, stunning.
Putting the Touring through its paces at South Australia’s The Bend racetrack served to highlight the M3’s abilities. Yes, there’s plenty of straight-line speed, but the real hero of the show is in just how competent the long-roof version is as a track day star.
With its all-wheel-drive platform offering the nut behind the wheel plenty of confidence, the M3 estate can be flung with abandon. The grip is out of this world, the M3 true to its line every single time. BMW’s M differential at the rear helps keep things nice and tidy, apportioning grip to the rear wheel that needs it most in any situation. That allows for plenty of playful exploration of its dynamic abilities, and it’s fair to say its abilities far outshine the average driver like you and me.
The eight-speed automatic transmission is so good you can leave it to its own devices, even on a racetrack. Shifts are intuitive and slick, whether up or down, and you’re never left wanting for the right gear. Of course, using the paddle shifters and controlling your own destiny brings its own rewards, allowing that glorious inline six to redline on the rev band before shifting up a ratio, a special moment. It’s engineering at its most bedeviling.
On the track, and at full song, the M3 Touring’s concert is mind-boggling. Every element you want or need from a track weapon works – from the prodigious acceleration and grip, the intuitive nature of the automatic transmission, to the precise and accurate steering. The confidence of the suspension and the ability of those big 380mm rotors front and back (in standard trim) to pull the 1865kg family hauler up in a predictable and precise manner mean the M3 Touring as a track day weapon works, and works well.
That it can also be driven leisurely in day-to-day scenarios is icing on the cake. But, the things that make the Touring such a competent car on the track can also grate just a little on the open road.
The suspension, even in its softest setting, can still feel a little sharp, particularly over rougher surfaces. It isn’t a deal-breaker, not by a long stretch, but it does make for some teeth-gritting moments.
The compromise is worth making, however, the M3 Touring rewarding its driver with an experience from behind the wheel that simply leaves you grinning, even in sedate traffic.
The thrum of that straight six, the way it urgently moves away from standstill, the sheer presence of its wide and low stance, and that bulging bonnet all add up to making the Touring the car to have if you could only have a single car in your garage to meet all of your needs and desires.
It is, in short, a compelling performance car with all the characteristics that the word ‘performance’ implies.
Key details
2023 BMW M3 Touring
Engine
3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder petrol
Power
375kW @ 6250rpm
Torque
650Nm @ 2750–5500rpm
Drive type
All-wheel drive
Transmission
Eight-speed torque converter automatic
Power-to-weight ratio
201.1kW/t
Weight (kerb)
1865kg
Spare tyre type
Tyre repair kit
Turning circle
12.6m
Should I buy a BMW M3 Touring?
For my money, this is the M car to have. From its bulging body that oozes kerb appeal to the inherent performance of the total engineering package, the M3 Touring sparkles brightly in an M sky already filled with shining stars.
That it can be driven like a sports car, and yet carry small items of furniture (if that’s your thing) in its capacious cargo area is just icing on the cake.
Don’t be fooled by its family wagon profile. The M3 Touring is in every single way an out-and-out and hardcore performance car.
On the track, it howls and it growls, and it surges and urges the driver on to greater feats.
Yes, the ride can be a bit brittle out on the open road. And yes, those silly carbon seats are a nuisance to get in and out of. But you can soften the suspension and you can opt for regular seats that are more comfortable, if not quite as supportive.
But whichever way you go, the 2023 BMW M3 Touring offers a rewarding experience that leaves you grinning long after the lap timer has stopped and the exhaust tips have cooled. It’s worthy of wearing the M tricolour.
