SINGAPORE – This is the first BMW M3 Touring, a high-powered compact wagon following the M3 Sedan and the M4 Coupe. And it is such a delectable package, you wonder why the Bavarian company never made one before, leaving a void to be filled by Alpina, a 58-year-old tuning specialist BMW acquired only in 2022.

Why a wagon, you may ask. Well, wagons offer the functionality of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) without the poorer driving dynamics which are often associated with SUVs. They also exude an off-centre coolness which escapes the more popular genres.