M3 Touring starts at the 24h Nürburgring
What began as an April Fool’s joke in 2025 will actually become reality in 2026: the BMW M3 Touring will be given a racing version and will compete in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. At the race on May 16 and 17, the BMW M3 Touring 24H will be a spectacular highlight for fans on the Nordschleife. The unusual racing car will be put to the test for the first time next weekend at the second round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS).
From social media gag to real racing car
The idea of building a racing version of the BMW M3 Touring already existed internally shortly after the market launch of the series model in 2022. However, the decisive impetus came from a social media post on April 1, 2025: BMW M Motorsport published pictures of an alleged M3 Touring GT racing car.
The response exceeded all expectations. More than one million users reached the post, and over 1.6 million views were counted. The interactions were also well above the usual figures for BMW M Motorsport channels. The enormous response from the community ultimately tipped the scales in favor of actually implementing the project.
Development in just eight months
In the summer of 2025, the decision was made to realize it – and within eight months, the BMW M3 Touring 24H was created. Technically, the vehicle is based on the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, but uses the body structure of the M3 Touring.
Compared to the M4 GT3 model, the touring race car is around 200 millimeters longer and around 32 millimeters higher with the rear wing. However, the basic technology is the same as its GT3 sister model.
A fan project for the Nordschleife
The BMW M3 Touring 24H is primarily intended as a special highlight for spectators at the Nürburgring. The design for the preparatory races picks up on numerous comments from fans that were posted on social media under the original April Fool’s joke. Another special livery is also planned for the actual 24-hour race.
Four BMW works drivers in action
The car will be entered by Schubert Motorsport. Four BMW M works drivers take turns at the wheel:
- Jens Klingmann
- Ugo de Wilde
- Connor De Phillippi
- Neil Verhagen
The BMW M3 Touring 24H will start in the SPX class, which means that it will not compete directly against the three BMW M4 GT3 EVOs battling for overall victory in the top SP9 category. Before the 24-hour race, the car will be entered in both the second NLS race and the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers.
Yokohama as tire partner
Like the BMW M4 GT3 EVO with starting number 77, the touring race car will be fitted with tires from Yokohama. For the Japanese manufacturer, the collaboration is a special project as part of its commitment to the Nürburgring.
Great expectations for the extraordinary project
Head of BMW Motorsport Andreas Roos describes the project as unique in the history of BMW-M motorsport and thanks everyone involved in making the vehicle possible. At the same time, he sees great potential for a spectacular show in front of the fans on the Nordschleife.
Works driver Jens Klingmann also emphasizes how unusual the origin of the project is: The transformation of an April Fool’s joke into a real racing car shows the close connection between BMW M Motorsport and its community. Despite the humorous origin, the M3 Touring 24H is a serious racing car with which they are aiming for a strong result.