Isn’t it a tad too early for April 1st? Apparently not for BMW, which has announced a new endurance racecar coming to the track based on a non-serious design from a year ago.
As some of you may remember, the company celebrated the last year’s April Fools’ Day by posting images and a video of a wonky-looking wagon, claiming it was its next “endurance racer.” Loosely based on the BMW M4 GT3 Evo underpinnings, it flaunted an over-the-top body kit and a downright gargantuan rear wing. Back then, it looked like the German brand wanted to give fans a good laugh and little else.
However, fans took to the social media to praise the design and ask for it to be implemented in a real car. Many commenters dared BMW to be bold and experimental. Fast-forward to the present day, and the company has actually taken up the challenge: the weird M3 Touring 24H is officially completed and ready to race at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring later this year.
Due to its wagon shape, it is 200 mm (7.8 inches) longer than the M4 GT3 Evo and 32 mm (1.3 inches) taller, but otherwise similar. It inherits the coupe’s 3.0-liter inline-six engine boosted to 590 PS (582 hp / 434 kW), as well as its six-speed sequential transmission.
In May this year, the April Fools’ car will be piloted on the North Loop by the Bavarian automaker’s own team of drivers, competing in the SPX category. We are told that the livery will be different, but most of the design will stay as you see it here.
It’s also official that the BMW M3 Touring 24H won’t reach mass production. That’s arguably not an issue, because you can still grab a “normal” M4 GT3 Evo as long as you have €578,000 to spare.
