BMW's Family Car Shatters 'Ring Record—No Wagon Has Ever Matched This feat

The BMW M3 CS Estate achieved a new Nürburgring track record with a lap time of 7 minutes and 29.49 seconds.
It was led by Jörg Weidinger, a BMW M engineer and winner of hill climbing competitions.
A 543-horsepower twin-turbo inline-six engine delivers power to all four wheels via M xDrive.

Amidst a competitive scene filled with high-speed vehicles and limited-run designations, certain records continue to capture attention. BMW's most recent achievement at the Nürburgring highlights an unexpected standout within the M series—a powerful station wagon offering space for shopping bags and an insatiable drive to smash lap times.

Not long after the M2 CS became the quickest small vehicle on the Nürburgring track With a lap time of 7:25.5, BMW's performance arm made a return to the track for testing yet another CS-branded vehicle. The M3 CS Touring finished a loop around the Green Hell in 7:29.490 seconds, becoming the fastest station wagon to complete the course.

A Record-Breaker

The M3 CS Sedan achieved a time that was 5.5 seconds quicker than the regular M3 Touring (7:35.060) which had set the prior benchmark since 2022. When measured against other models within the BMW M lineup, this high-performance mid-size station wagon is just marginally slower than the M3 CS saloon (7:28.760), yet it falls short of the lap records achieved by the lighter M4 CS coupé (7:21.989) and the more extreme M4 CSL (7:18.137).

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A record-lap occurred on a bright April day, yet BMW maintained secrecy around it until now. The M3 CS Touring was driven by Jörg Weidinger, a BMW M development engineer who previously competed as a race car driver and hill climb winner. Weidinger became the first person to surpass the 7:30-minute mark using an estate vehicle at the event. Nurburgring .

Practicality Meets Precision

The The BMW M3 CS Touring was introduced early this year. As a more concentrated iteration of the M3 Touring featuring enhanced performance, chassis, and aerodynamic improvements. It is equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine generating 543 horsepower (405 kilowatts / 550 metric horsepower), which is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission along with BMW's rear-tilted M xDrive system. Additionally, the vehicle includes updated suspension design and stronger braking components, with optional carbon-ceramic rotors available.

BMW states that the M3 CS Touring can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0–62 mph) in just 3.5 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). However, it isn’t solely about performance metrics. This station wagon continues to provide between 500 and 1,510 liters (17.7–53.3 cubic feet) of storage capacity, based on seat configuration.

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Franciscus van Meel, Chief Executive Officer of BMW M GmbH stated, "Right from the start, it was evident that the BMW M3 CS Touring would establish new benchmarks in performance. Achieving a time of less than 7:30 minutes shows how effectively this vehicle design merges motorsport heritage with daily practicality."

BMW has also shared an in-vehicle video capturing the entire lap around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which you can view below. It's uncertain whether another station wagon will attempt to beat this record. The next one... Audi RS5 Avant seems like a strong competitor, whereas the bigger and more substantial M5 Touring is anticipated to compete in another level of performance.