M3 Touring

[tim]

In an appliance EV or similar yes fine, in a performance driver oriented car I do not want to feel like I'm still sat at my desk, I want a cockpit.

That's just awful and would put me right off buying a car I have no hope of being able to afford in the first place

The rest of it though... ding dong!

[Mito Man]

It's gone full Mercedes. Also does the M3 touring have its own dash layout then?! Pretty sure the M4 is more traditional, heck I remember sitting in the M4 CSL and that had a normal dash!

[Ascender]

Nope, that's the LCI refresh which is being rolled out across the range.

I don't like the way it's just been plonked down on the dash, but we are where we are. I'll see how I get on with it although I'll be using Apple CarPlay so won't have to interact with it much.

Its a strange time in car design at the moment....

At least there's still the iDrive controller, but the jury is out. I'll see how I get on with it. I do agree that having it all as one display is better than what I have today with the analogue-ish dials in one binnacle and then a gap and then the rectangular screen for CarPlay. I've always thought it was a strange decision by BMW to have those screens just sticking out the middle of the dash - they looked like they should be able to be folded down.

[Mito Man]

Just quickly flicking further into the video, JWW scrolling through the menus and it's still got that slight delay/lag like a 6 year old tablet. In a near £100k car in 2023 FFS. Get yer act together and spend maybe more than £20 on the processor BMW

[Ascender]

Just quickly flicking further into the video, JWW scrolling through the menus and it's still got that slight delay/lag like a 6 year old tablet. In a near £100k car in 2023 FFS. Get yer act together and spend maybe more than £20 on the processor BMW

I really hope it isn't like that, but it's hard to tell from the video. He did make the point of saying it's responsive and smooth, but who knows.

I still wonder how many car manufacturers are trying to do too much of this stuff in-house with existing staff (so to speak) instead of going out and talking to experts in software design, UI etc.

The minimum standard for any touchscreen device should be "as responsive as an iPad."

[Broccers]

Lots of money

[tim]

I don't mind the bit in the middle so much, but in that sort of car I want to feel "in" it, and those flat displays plonked in front of the wheel and no binnacle as such don't really do much for that feeling.

I'm sure we'll all be used to it in a few years though. #oldgit

[integrale_evo]

First vid of seen on them.

Nah, it’s not for me, no not just because I can’t afford one…

I like the colour

Still hate the nose, don’t like the little lip extensions on the rear arches or the spoiler on the spoiler. Needs 20s on the front too. Interior has too many glossy bits, fussy detailing and that huge slab of a screen.

I can see why people like them, and I’m sure they drive amazingly but no thanks.

I like that they’ve pushed the side lockers out on the boot, for some useful load width but it still looks a very narrow load space between the arches when the car is huge.

[integrale_evo]

I don't mind the bit in the middle so much, but in that sort of car I want to feel "in" it, and those flat displays plonked in front of the wheel and no binnacle as such don't really do much for that feeling.

I'm sure we'll all be used to it in a few years though. #oldgit

By the time I can afford one they’ll all have knackered screens with half the pixels burnt out and cost more than the car’s worth to replace

[tim]

The ride height on his looks like it's still go the transport blocks in too, especially in the final shots outside

[IanF]

The big screen is very good in reality. All curved towards you and quick-ish. The best screens for responsiveness are Korean ones ime, rest of the cars awful but the screen is very responsive

I was very disappointed with the M3 I test drove (twice now).. as has been said, it doesn’t feel or sound fast and costs £100k Ofcourse, it is still the best fast estate out there, just didn’t gel with it sadly.

[Rich B]

The big screen is very good in reality. All curved towards you and quick-ish. The best screens for responsiveness are Korean ones ime, rest of the cars awful but the screen is very responsive

I was very disappointed with the M3 I test drove (twice now).. as has been said, it doesn’t feel or sound fast and costs £100k Ofcourse, it is still the best fast estate out there, just didn’t gel with it sadly.

how different was it to your M4?

[Simon]

I don't hate that M3 Touring, but why oh why is the rear camera not an electric pop out model but rather just bolted above the rear number plate like a horrible boil that needs cutting off?

[IanF]

The big screen is very good in reality. All curved towards you and quick-ish. The best screens for responsiveness are Korean ones ime, rest of the cars awful but the screen is very responsive

I was very disappointed with the M3 I test drove (twice now).. as has been said, it doesn’t feel or sound fast and costs £100k Ofcourse, it is still the best fast estate out there, just didn’t gel with it sadly.

how different was it to your M4?

Tbh, between the gpf robbing all the noise and derive plus modern tyres giving so much grip, it just felt like an Audi to me; glued to the road, but numb

[Jobbo]

I don't hate that M3 Touring, but why oh why is the rear camera not an electric pop out model but rather just bolted above the rear number plate like a horrible boil that needs cutting off?

I assume it’s a front camera on the middle body-colour strip between the front kidneys too. That looks like a pimple. Darker colours to hide it FTW - good choices Ascender and Wilspeed.

[MikeHunt]

Just received the latest issue online, features the M2 and M3 touring back to back and also looks at the C63 touring.

[Ascender]

Just received the latest issue online, features the M2 and M3 touring back to back and also looks at the C63 touring.

I had a read and it's just one of those "first impressions" things but I guess it's going to drive pretty similar to the M3 & M4 so there's not much to say about it. M2 sounds interesting but I'm not sold on the styling yet although having seen their new design language for front ends on the bigger cars, I think the "beaver" look is going to age very well. Particularly on darker coloured cars...

Speaking of which, the weeks are going very slowly at the moment...

[Ascender]

The actual review embargo has now lifted and the UK press have got their road tests in. It's pretty much as expected and the last paragraph of the Autocar summed it up for me. It sums up a lot of things when it comes to cars.

t’s the kind of car that you want because you just want it. All it ever needed to do was exist.

I also dipped my toe in to the work of Pistonboatshoes as before finding the Facebook group, it was the only place I found a few other UK people with deposits.

[DaveE]

I don't hate that M3 Touring, but why oh why is the rear camera not an electric pop out model but rather just bolted above the rear number plate like a horrible boil that needs cutting off?

LOL

Like the £20 after market one I fitted to my M140i?!

[Ascender]

I don't hate that M3 Touring, but why oh why is the rear camera not an electric pop out model but rather just bolted above the rear number plate like a horrible boil that needs cutting off?

I'd not even noticed that tbh. Depending what options you have, it's recording constantly whenever the ignition is on which probably explains the design decision.