[Macphisto]

Originally Posted by yaymitch

See RS6 Avant. Maybe this is BMWs answer to that for the US.

If I had the money... this...

[spuntyb]

Fuck yes

tell me it will cross the pond plz

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by xlover

Not a wagon person myself but the fact they are putting together a large scale marketing push through global channels tells me they want global attention. How many other bmws to they put out press release before it is even spotted on the test tracks.

My take: I can definitely see it coming to the US but not as a volume model, probably allocation and production restricted to ensure they don't oversaturate. I would not expect to be able to buy one off the lot at anything but the highest volume M dealers. Thinking availability similar to the 1M or first year of the M2 would make sense, gift to the dealers small group of msrpish sales and protection from any units sitting on lots for a full model year with 10k trunk cash
For wagon fans in the US, tell your dealers and write bmw NA....

Very very good point re the market exposure. This is quite an early reveal / confirmation.

[fricfracfrank]

Originally Posted by solstice

I'll be sure to tell my friends next time I'm over there, half of them worked on these in some capacity

Though the real tank was a predecessor the 240.

240 definitely was. My first car was a s70, then and s60R. They were completely different in many aspects, both temperamental, but great cars.

[Ibiza]

Originally Posted by floating.spirit

Goddamit! Who wants to buy my X3MC I haven't taken delivery of yet?

Enjoy your X3MC for the next 2+ years, as this announcement was regarding 2 years of testing for the G81 starting soon. It's for BMW M to get ahead of the story prior to the test mules photographed on the Ring.

Europe will see this as a 2023 model year.

[Ibiza]

Originally Posted by themnmd

Would consider over X3 or X5 m's. I don't think Bmw would undermine a very profitable SAV/SUV market in the USA

Each new model variation that BMW AG sells in the US market costs around $1,000,000 for DOT safety training. As a 3 series N55 offered with a 6MT and 8AT is two variations, $2,000,000 DOT test costs. Not worth the cost to import to the states.

[mkoesel]

It is great news that they are entertaining the idea, and the fact that they're testing it now for release in approximately two years actually makes sense since it could then hit right around G20/G21 LCI timeframe. That would give it three and half years of life (compared to the M3 sedan's roughly four and a half).

I've seen a lot of comments about the US market in this thread, and I would have to agree that it is very unlikely to come here. I would point out that all high performance wagons currently sold in the US are variants of a more pedestrian model also sold in the US. Furthermore, as far as I know, that has been the case for every single high performance wagon previously available stateside as well (Audi S4 Avant sold along side the Audi A4 Avant, Volvo V60 R along side the standard V60, and there no doubt a number of others). If someone knows of an exception, I'd genuinely love to know because it would provide a precedent and give some hope that BMW could bring over an M3 Touring by itself - no 3 Series Touring necessary. It wouldn't necessarily "seal the deal" of course, because there's still lots of other criteria to make a business case (enough margin given the anticipated volume, for starters).

[F32Fleet]

Holy moly Batman!

Unfortunately US buyers are married to the high riding position of SUV's.

I'm also going to go out on a limb and opine that wagons are generally bought instead of leased. The majority ofUS BMW drivers and M-drivers especially choose to lease.

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Should sell like hot cakes!!!

If BMW brought it to North America they'd sell like Street Taco's

🌮🌮🌮

[mbanck]

Originally Posted by xlover

Not a wagon person myself but the fact they are putting together a large scale marketing push through global channels tells me they want global attention. How many other bmws to they put out press release before it is even spotted on the test tracks.

Well, a G81 is (i) highly sought after and (ii) immediate obvious once a prototype hits testing no matter how much camouflage, I can't think of any other BMW that ticks both marks right now, maybe a M4 GC.

So they probably thought they had to get in front of it and better break the news themselves.

[Ibiza]

Originally Posted by BimmerMat135

My guess is that the profit margin on M products must be way higher than regular Bmw products. Therefore they were able to develop a version with a manual transmission even if the sales figures are on the decline. The same rule could be applied on the touring and sold a special product just like the E63 wagon and RS6.

Your correct about the M tax profit margin. Look at the recently released 2021 BMW NA base price increase sheet— only the M models didn't have a base increase from MY20 to MY21.

No way BMW NA sells this car in the states unless it's produced in Mexico, as the euro went from 1.08 per USD to 1.18.BMW AG during COVID. The G81 would cannibalize higher profit margin X3M/X4M sales.

[Law]

Based on preliminary information available at this time, it's unlikely the M3 Touring will be brought Stateside.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...ouring-teaser/

Originally Posted by Road & Track

A BMW North America spokesperson confirmed to Road & Track via email the company has no plans to import the M3 Touring into the U.S., which makes sense considering its main competitors—the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Wagon and Audi RS 4 Avant—aren't sold here, and virtually nobody buys wagons in America anymore.

[emulajavi]

It all depends on the front.

It will be great if it keeps the regular G20 kidneys and hood line....and outsells by a wide margin the ‘regular’ M3 with the awful 4 series kidneys.... ? Maybe that way it will be clear what front do M3 buyers want.

[JustChris]

Where were our insiders with this one?

[DRKNEVL]

Originally Posted by pz619

If it comes to the states, I will buy one. On one condition though, it can't have the stupid grills.

As someone who has a first child due at the end of the year this could be perfect to replace the 5-series with! Agreed about the grill though. They finally give us this but it has the worst face in decades... I am hoping for a 340i MSport conversion kit.

[Neptune7]

Would the X3MC and M3 wagon coexist in the same market?

[solstice]

Originally Posted by Law

Based on preliminary information available at this time, it's unlikely the M3 Touring will be brought Stateside.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...ouring-teaser/

While this is likely I don’t trust BMW NA to stick to anything they say. It could just as well be a move to not have buyers of the M3 and X3M sit on their money for 2 years. If AG says no I’ll believe it but NA? Doesn’t mean much to me.

[Ristau]

Originally Posted by AlexFL

Nobody likes/wants/needs/buys wagons here in the US. That wagon better stays in Europe.

Fuck that! I'd buy one. If it were here in the US, I'd be in an M340i touring rather than the sedan.

[Fugly M3]

6MT?

[Law]

Originally Posted by solstice

While this is likely I don’t trust BMW NA to stick to anything they say. It could just as well be a move to not have buyers of the M3 and X3M sit on their money for 2 years. If AG says no I’ll believe it but NA? Doesn’t mean much to me.

I agree. It's by no means the final word per se as many things can change in two years time.
Ask anyone yesterday or last week and a G81 was completely out of the question.

If there's one thing we learned today about BMW M is that they're still capable of surprises (the good kind).

That's the kind of excitement (from special projects) that many BMW M fans miss. Fingers-crossed for North American fans of the Touring but at the same time, don't hold your breath.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by solstice

While this is likely I don’t trust BMW NA to stick to anything they say. It could just as well be a move to not have buyers of the M3 and X3M sit on their money for 2 years. If AG says no I’ll believe it but NA? Doesn’t mean much to me.

I'd point out that BMW NA has an extremely solid track record of following through on *not* doing stuff that say they are *not* going to do, especially when enthusiasts want them to do it.

As evidence, I give you every single current touring model not sold in the US and every single former touring model formerly not sold in the US. They said they would not sell them, and sure enough, they did not sell them. I believe they are 100% on the mark for that no? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, like I say in my earlier post, if you believe an M3 is possible here, you either believe a 3 Series Touring is coming along with it, or you believe this will be the first ever wagon form factor (to my knowledge, as I say - someone show me a counter-example, I'd love to be made aware of one) to sport *only* a high performance variant.

If you told me it is guaranteed that BMW will either sell a hot pink i3 or an M3 Touring in the US, at this point, I'd be inclined to bet on the hot pink i3.

Just trying to be a realist.

[Graves]

Originally Posted by e92ben

Who cares. It won't come to the states as all cool wagons don't.

RS6 finally did. Could be a decent competitor.