What began as a tongue-in-cheek April Fools’ Day post has evolved into one of the most unexpected, and exciting, entries set to hit the grid at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2026. BMW M Motorsport has officially brought the M3 Touring 24H to life, transforming a viral joke into a fully fledged endurance race car.
Originally teased in April 2025 as a fictional GT3-spec wagon, the concept exploded online, racking up millions of impressions and an overwhelming wave of fan enthusiasm. BMW listened, and just eight months later, the car is real.
A GT3 Race Car in Disguise
Beneath its long-roof silhouette, the M3 Touring 24H is anything but a novelty. It shares its full technical backbone with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, while adopting the body shape of the BMW M3 Touring.
The result? A machine that is: 200 mm longer than the M4 GT3 EVO, 32 mm taller (including its aggressive rear wing), and identical in core performance and race-spec engineering. In essence, this is a purebred GT3 contender wrapped in a wagon body—something the motorsport world has never quite seen before.
Built for the Green Hell
The car will make its competitive debut in the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie before heading to the main event at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife, a circuit famously dubbed the “Green Hell.”
Unlike BMW’s flagship GT3 entries chasing outright victory, the M3 Touring 24H will compete in the SPX class, reserved for experimental and special vehicles. That positioning allows BMW to focus on delivering something equally important: a spectacle.
Star Power Behind the Wheel
Piloting the car will be a factory-backed lineup featuring Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde, Connor De Phillippi, and Neil Verhagen
With proven endurance racing talent onboard, expectations go beyond novelty—the team is aiming for a strong result.
Designed by the Fans
In a fitting tribute to its origins, the car’s initial livery features real fan comments pulled directly from the viral April Fools’ post. A new, special design will debut for the 24-hour race itself. It’s a rare example of a manufacturer not just listening to its audience, but building something tangible because of it.
A Statement Project
With tyre support from Yokohama, the M3 Touring 24H represents more than just a creative exercise. It’s a bold statement about what modern motorsport can be when brands embrace community, creativity, and a willingness to break convention.
The Verdict
The BMW M3 Touring 24H isn’t just a race car, it’s a symbol. A symbol that even in an era of hyper-optimized GT racing, there’s still room for bold ideas, fan-driven passion, and a bit of madness. And when those elements come together, you get something truly unforgettable: a race-winning machine disguised as a family wagon.
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “A project like the BMW M3 Touring 24H has never existed at BMW M Motorsport before. Many thanks to everyone who put their heart and soul into this unique car and brought it to life. I am thrilled – and at the same time, I am certain that our fans, who are never closer to us than at our second home on the Nürburgring, will be just as excited. I promise all fans a great show and look forward to an event of superlatives.”
Jens Klingmann: “This is truly a unique project, and I am absolutely delighted to be a part of it. The fact that we took our fans’ reactions to an April Fools’ joke as an opportunity to actually make the BMW M3 Touring 24H a reality speaks to our closeness to our community and our enthusiasm for motorsport. It has to be said clearly that the car may have started as an April Fools’ joke, but it has become an absolutely top-class and competitive race car. Our goal is to put on a great show for the spectators at the Nürburgring and to finish the race as far up front as possible. I am convinced that we can achieve a top result.”
