You asked for it, and BMW delivered! That epic April Fools’ joke from 2025—the one that had the whole motorsport community buzzing—is officially becoming a reality. BMW M Motorsport is bringing a full-on racing version of the M3 Touring to the 24 Hours of Nürburgring on May 16-17, 2026.
This is a story born from pure passion. It all started on April 1, 2025, when BMW M Motorsport dropped some renders of a wild M3 Touring GT race car on social media. The internet exploded. The post reached over a million users, racked up 1.6 million views, and the engagement went through the roof. Fans weren’t just amused; they were genuinely hyped for the idea.
Inspired by the overwhelming response, the engineers at BMW M Motorsport turned the community’s dream into a concrete plan. In an incredible eight-month sprint, they built the BMW M3 Touring 24H.
Not Just a Pretty Face—This Is a Serious Contender
Don’t let the fun origin story fool you; this wagon means business. While it’s based on the M3 Touring body, its heart and soul are pure race car, sharing its technical foundation with the proven BMW M4 GT3 EVO. It’s a bit longer and taller, but the core performance DNA is identical.
As a nod to the fans who made it happen, the car’s initial livery for its debut races will actually feature comments from the original April Fools’ social media post! A special livery is planned for the main 24-hour event.
Behind the wheel will be a killer lineup of BMW M works drivers: Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde, Connor De Phillippi, and Neil Verhagen. The car will be fielded by the expert Schubert Motorsport team and will run on tires from BMW M’s partner, Yokohama.
The M3 Touring 24H will compete in the SPX class, so while it won’t be in a direct fight for the overall win against the top-class M4 GT3s, you can bet it will be putting on a spectacular show for the fans lining the Nordschleife.
This is what happens when a brand truly connects with its community. What started as a joke has become one of the most anticipated new cars on the grid. Get ready to cheer on the world’s coolest wagon.
