BMW M3 Touring 24H Set for Nürburgring 2026 Debut
Our fans asked for it, and we delivered. A hugely successful April Fools’ joke from 2025 will become reality at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring 2026 in Germany with the racing version of the BMW M3 Touring. On 16 and 17 May, the BMW M3 Touring 24H will compete as a standout attraction for spectators in the Green Hell. The car will make its racing debut next weekend in the second round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie. Our Media Guide includes all technical data for the BMW M3 Touring 24H, as well as full details of the modifications.
BMW M Motorsport began exploring a racing version of the BMW M3 Touring shortly after the road car launched in 2022. A decisive moment then turned that early idea into a firm plan, and that moment came through an April Fools’ joke. On 1 April 2025, BMW M Motorsport shared images on social media of a supposedly in-development BMW M3 Touring GT race car. Fans and media responded in huge numbers. The post reached more than one million users and generated more than 1.6 million views. It also delivered engagement figures far above the usual levels on BMW M Motorsport’s social media channels.
That success pushed BMW M Motorsport to move ahead with the project in the summer of 2025. In just eight months, the engineers at BMW M Motorsport built the BMW M3 Touring 24H. The car uses the same technical base as the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, but it starts from the body shell of the BMW M3 Touring. The BMW M3 Touring 24H measures 200 millimetres longer than the BMW M4 GT3 EVO and, with the rear wing fitted, stands 32 millimetres higher. Both race cars share identical technical data. Alongside the Media Guide, we also provide a walkaround video for editorial use in which BMW M works driver Jens Klingmann explains the car in detail.
BMW M Motorsport built the BMW M3 Touring 24H for fans at the tight, demanding Nürburgring, where the brand shares a special bond with its supporters. The design for the preparatory races reflects that connection. It features selected comments that fans posted under the April Fools’ joke on social media. For the 24-hour race, the BMW M3 Touring 24H will sport a different special livery.
Schubert Motorsport will field the BMW M3 Touring 24H, and four BMW M works drivers will take the wheel: Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde of Belgium, Connor De Phillippi, and Neil Verhagen of the USA. The car will race in the SPX class, so it will not compete directly against the three BMW M4 GT3 EVOs that will fight for overall victory in the top SP9 category. The BMW M3 Touring 24H will complete its preparation in the second NLS race and the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers.
Like the #77 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from Schubert Motorsport, the BMW M3 Touring 24H will run on tyres from BMW M Motorsport partner Yokohama. "We are deeply honoured to partner with BMW M Motorsport as an official tyre partner for this exclusive programme,” said Takayoshi Omae, Deputy Head of Consumer Tyre Product & Marketing Planning Div. "This collaboration marks a historic milestone in Yokohama’s motorsport history, and our participation in the Nürburgring 24 Hours fills us with immense pride and anticipation. Together with BMW M Motorsport, a global premium brand defined by visionary engineering and an unwavering competitive spirit, Yokohama looks forward to pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the Nordschleife, driven by our shared pursuit of excellence.”
Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, said: “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 said: “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.”
