A purpose-built BMW M3 GT3 Touring is about to hitch the grid for the 2026 version of the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, competing within the experimental SPX class.
The venture was born from a digital prank on April 1, 2025. When BMW’s social media channels teased a rendering of a G81-based GT3 machine, the racing neighborhood did not simply chortle – they demanded it.
With greater than 1.6 million views and unprecedented engagement, the board in Munich took discover. Now, a G81 Property wagon formally dubbed because the “BMW M3 Touring 24H” is being prepped for its aggressive debut.
Over the course of simply eight months, the BMW M3 Touring 24H was constructed. It shares the identical technical base because the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, however is derived from the fundamental physique of the BMW M3 Touring.
The BMW M3 Touring 24H is 200mm longer and, together with the rear wing, 32mm increased than the BMW M4 GT3 Evo. The technical information of each race automobiles are an identical.
BMW M3 Touring livery
Picture by: BMW
4 doorways, 4 manufacturing unit drivers
The automobile might be entered by Schubert Motorsport and run on Yokohama tyres, simply because the crew’s spearheading SP9 class M4 GT3.
4 manufacturing unit drivers might be entered: Nordschleife veteran Jens Klingmann joins Belgian ace Ugo de Wilde and the American duo of Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen.
“A venture like this has by no means existed at BMW M Motorsport earlier than. I’m thrilled – and on the similar time, I’m sure that our followers, who’re by no means nearer to us than at our second dwelling on the Nurburgring, might be simply as excited”, stated BMW motorsports director Andreas Roos.
The transfer to the SPX class units up a mouth-watering battle for followers. The BMW wagon is about to face the HWA EVO.R – the novel reimagining of the Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo II.
The HWA was lately noticed throughout testing earlier than the cancelled NLS1 race with former BMW star Bruno Spengler on the wheel, who is about to race in opposition to his former employer within the “Inexperienced Hell”.
Jan Lammers, Volvo 850 SE/GLT
Picture by: Motorsport Photographs
Station wagons within the Highlight
Whereas the M3 Touring 24H is a standout, it follows a uncommon however legendary lineage of “racing lorries” that principally raced within the BTCC.
Whereas most bear in mind the enduring Volvo 850 Property from the 1994 season, it wasn’t till 20 years later that station wagons took victories.
Honda’s Civic Tourer claimed 4 wins in 2014, however the final property champion stays the Subaru Levorg GT, which gained the 2017 BTCC title with Ash Sutton on the wheel.
On the Nurburgring Nordschleife, the Mitsubishi Lancer property wagon by Mario Fuchs claimed a number of total victories within the Rundstrecken Problem Nurburgring, which races as a help sequence in Thursday morning in the course of the 24 hour race weekend.
The G81’s transformation right into a GT3-spec racer marks a full-circle second for the model. Already again in 2000, the model constructed a secret M3 E46 Touring prototype however opted in opposition to bringing it to the market. This solely occurred in 2022 with the introduction of the G81 mannequin.
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