BMW M3 CS Touring is a record breaker on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife

The first-ever BMW M3 CS Touring has become the fastest estate car to lap the Nürburgring-Nordschleife with a record-breaking time of 7:29.490 minutes, shaving over five seconds off the previous time.

The lap was set by BMW M development engineer and record breaking veteran Jörg Weidinger in April and came less than three years after the previous record’s 7:35.060 minutes set by the BMW M3 Touring at the 20.8km track in 2022.

Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH, said: "From the very beginning, it was clear that the BMW M3 CS Touring would set new standards in dynamics. With a time under 7:30 minutes, this model  impressively demonstrates that this vehicle concept perfectly combines racing DNA with everyday usability."

The M3 CS Touring’s efforts in negotiating the 70 corners of the Nordschleife put it just behind lap times set at the circuit by other BMWs like the BMW M4 CSL (7:18.137 minutes), BMW M4 CS (7:21.989 minutes) and BMW M3 CS (7:28.760 minutes). It also follows an impressive record recently set by the BMW M2 CS in the compact class at 7:25.5 minutes.

BMW M3 CS Touring in numbers

While it would be foolish to ignore the huge part that Weidinger’s driving skills played in the record-breaking lap, there should be a special mention to what’s under the bonnet of the BMW M3 CS Touring. It is powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged straight-six engine that produces 542bhp, allowing it to accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 186mph. This combines with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and M xDrive all-wheel drive.

BMW M and the Nürburgring - A match made in heaven at “the Green Hell”

Commonly agreed to be one of the world’s most difficult circuits, with Jackie Stewart even nicknaming it "the Green Hell", BMW has found something of a home at the Nürburgring and has its BMW M Test Centre housed there. This infrastructure is part of a 25 year partnership between BMW M and the Nürburgring, which allows the German brand to successfully develop new cars and test them in the most challenging conditions.

Last month also saw success at the Ring for the BMW M4 GT3 Evo of Rowe Racing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Drivers Kelvin van der Linde, Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, and Raffaele Marciello were able to secure victory from 17th place in an impressive comeback win.

words: Mike Booth
pictures & video: BMW