No Laughing Matter - BMW M3 Touring 24H Goes From Viral April Fool's Joke To Green Hell Racer

Published: Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 15:26 [IST]

BMW has confirmed the M3 Touring GT3 will race at the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours. The car, originally shown as an April Fools concept in 2025, has been developed into a functional race machine and will compete in the SPX class as the M3 Touring 24H.

Development on the M3 Touring 24H began after the April Fool's concept generated over a million views and strong engagement online. BMW's higher-ups approved the project in mid-2025, and the build was completed in under eight months using its existing GT3 programme.

BMW M3 Touring 24H - Powertrain & Race Hardware

The BMW M3 Touring 24H uses BMW's P58 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six producing around 590hp and 700Nm. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox shared with the M4 GT3 EVO.

The M3 Touring 24H shares its full technical base with the M4 GT3 EVO, including chassis, suspension and drivetrain components. The Touring body has been adapted onto the GT3 platform rather than engineered as a standalone race car.

The BMW M3 Touring 24H is 200mm longer and 32mm taller than the M4 GT3 EVO due to the estate body and extended rear wing. The body uses carbon-fibre reinforced plastic panels, lightweight windows and reworked door structures.

The M3 Touring 24H runs a full GT3 aero package with a large front splitter, extended side aero elements and a prominent rear wing. The longer roofline and wagon profile required additional aero balancing compared to the coupe.

Cooling ducts, brake systems and suspension components are carried over from the M4 GT3 EVO. The setup includes race-spec anti-roll bars, differential tuning and high-performance braking hardware.

BMW M3 Touring 24H - Nürburgring Entry & Drivers

The BMW M3 Touring 24H will be run by Schubert Motorsport at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The driver line-up includes Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde, Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen.

The M3 Touring 24H will compete in the SPX class due to the lack of GT3 homologation for an estate body style and also to ensure that it does not step on the firm's official M4 GT3 EVO entries that will continue in the SP9 class as they look for overall victory at the 24-hour race at the Green Hell.