It took BMW twelve years to bring the M Touring back after discontinuing the M5 E61 in 2010. However, the smaller M3 Touring isn’t available in North America where you can’t either own the Audi RS4 Avant or the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate. The silver lining is that reports of a US-bound M5 Touring have now progressed past the gossip stage. The M man himself, Frank van Meel, suggested that Bavaria prepare a belated answer for the long roofs of the RS6 and E63.
In an interview with CarBuzz last weekend in South Africa during the M Fest held at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg, the CEO of BMW M was asked about the possible return of the M5 Touring. Coincidentally, there was a purple E34 standing outside the building, one of 891 units ever built: “We’ll see. Open your eyes, and if you see anything like that. [E34 M5 Touring] at the Nürburgring, we’ll do it.”
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Frank van Meel said the M Touring for North America would come in response to the growing demand coming from dealers and customers for the high-performance wagon. The body style itself would be a breath of fresh air given that the Series 3 and Series 5 are currently sold exclusively as sedans in the United States: “We listen to our dealers and customers, and they’re coming more and more, asking for tours. So we’re considering it.”
Codenamed G90, the next M5 Sedan has already been spotted being tested at the Nürburgring, so it’s only a matter of time before a more practical body style will arrive in Green Hell. The wagon is believed to carry the codename G99 and enter production towards the end of 2024 or a few months after the sedan. Both will use a plug-in hybrid V8 adapted from the XM, which next year’s Red Label will produce a combined output of 738 hp and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft).
