BMW wagons are coming to the U.S.—maybe. If I say it enough times, it will come true, right? It’s not a secret that wagons have not sold well in the U.S. as many buyers have flocked to crossovers and SUVs over the last two decades. Wagon lovers in the U.S. looked on with envy when the new M3 Touring debuted, knowing it would not be gracing our shores with its presence. But fear not touring enthusiasts, there are glimmers of hope on the U.S.’s wagon horizon in the forms of the rumored M5 touring and i5 touring—two sizable long roofs that can compete with the likes of the Audi RS6 and Mercedes E63 AMG.
The first production M3 touring, which did not come stateside. [Photo by BMW.]
A G61 M5 touring rendered by BMWBLOG.
Will there be a new generation M5 touring to join with the previous E61 and E34 M5 tourings? An M variant of the 5 Series wagon hasn’t been offered in two generations. When asked about a potential new M5, van Meel told Carbuzz, “We’ll see. Keep your eyes open, and if you see something like that on the Nurburgring, we’re going to do it.” In my mind, I can already see a next-generation 5 Series wagon wearing prototype camouflage and vertically stacked exhaust tips extruding from the rear bumper. My only question now is “when?”
In regard to what will power the next M-ified 5 Series, there’s speculation it will be BMW’s latest hybrid S68 engine. This can be found in the Alpina XB7 and recently debuted XM and produces over 600 horsepower, or 735 with the XM’s upcoming Label Red. In a presumably lighter 5 Series chassis, that drivetrain would make for a very quick 5.
TopElectricSUV’s rendering of the rumored G61 i5 touring. [Rendering courtesy of TopElectricSUV.]
My 2015 328i M Sport wagon. [Photo by Mike Bevels.]
[Photos courtesy of BMW, TopElectricSUV, and Mike Bevels.]