BMW has always had a knack for building practical performance cars, such as the BMW M3 sedan, X5 M SUV, and a handful of coupe sports cars that don’t compromise daily drivability. While these Bavarian creations are cool, there’s a certain type of M car BMW seldom builds — the performance wagon.

Since the M division’s introduction with the M1 in 1978, BMW has only made four M-badged station wagons: The E34 M5 Touring, E61 M5 Touring, G81 M3 Touring, and the recent G99 M5 Touring.

According to BMW Blog, only the new M5 Touring has been introduced on American soil. BMW recently announced they’ll make a stripped-down track version of its current M3 Touring, dubbed the M3 CS Touring, which starts at £120,600. And yep, you guessed it, the United States once again misses out on the fun.

Here’s everything we’ve learned about the latest forbidden Bavarian fruit.

The Ultimate Performance Wagon

Just like the standard M3 Touring and Sedan, the M3 CS is a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Don’t let its silhouette fool you. Under its hood remains the latest version of BMW’s top-of-the-range twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine, dubbed the S58.

It puts out 550 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque in the CS trim — 20 horsepower more than the standard M3. Power is delivered through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and BMW’s rear-biased xDrive all-wheel-drive system.

BMW claims that the M3 CS Touring will rocket from 0 to 62 mph in merely 3.5 seconds. And if you keep your foot planted, it’ll top out at 186 mph. If history has taught us anything, it’s that those figures are probably very underrated, like BMW has done with previous models.

In addition to giving it a slight power bump, the engineers over at BMW paid meticulous attention to detail and gifted it a whole host of other upgrades. Like the M3 CS sedan, the Touring version gets titanium silencers. These will not only reduce weight but, as a bonus, also make it sound symphonic.

Reinforced engine mounts were also added to improve throttle response, and some fine-tuning occurred under the hood to allow peak torque delivery from just 2,750 rpm, with the redline sitting at 7,200 rpm.

Underneath, the chassis gets adaptive dampers and upgraded bracing for added rigidity. While the M3 CS Touring comes standard with a set of massive brakes, the carbon ceramic brakes remain a costly optional extra for those who really want to push the performance wagon’s limits.

The Engineering Behind The Speed

Like all CS models before it, the M3 CS Touring follows a simple formula: lighter, stiffer, faster. The extensive use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) helps aggressively shed weight while retaining rigidity.

Components like the hood, front splitter, air intakes, mirror caps, rear diffuser, and roof are all infused with carbon fiber. As a result, this weight-cutting strategy results in the CS weighing 33 lbs less than the standard M3 Touring. That may not sound like much, but it’s the equivalent of ditching a cinder block

Lightweight wheels measuring 19 inches up front and 20 inches in the rear are your only option. Lately, BMW has been doing great in terms of wheel designs but, unfortunately, the M3 CS Touring’s wheels have been available for years already, and they only come in Matte Gold Bronze or Matte Black. What a pity.

On the bright side, the rest of the CS Touring is anything but bland. Despite only being available in four colors, BMW made some excellent color choices: Sapphire Black metallic, Laguna Seca Blue, British Racing Green, and Frozen Solid White.

Most of its trim pieces are finished in glossy black, with some red accents around its grille and roof spoiler to remind you it means business. Its yellow daytime running lights are arguably the coolest detail, setting it apart from the standard M3 Touring.

Why the M3 Touring (Still) Isn’t Coming to the U.S.

For years, Americans have been robbed of the chance to own a full-blown M performance wagon. Clearly, the Bavarians have heard the cries for help and introduced the BMW M5 Touring. That said, they’re still not convinced that there’s a market for the current M3 Touring there.

Andreas Meyer, VP of BMW Product Management, said in an interview with CarBuzz that BMW’s chances of introducing the M3 Touring to the US are slim because it’s “already in its life cycle.”

In other words, the window of opportunity has closed for the current M3 Touring to come to America. However, Meyer also mentioned that “if [the] M5 Touring does well enough, maybe the next generation [of the M3 Touring] could come [to America].”

Considering the success of other fast wagons, like the Audi RS6 Avant and the now-legendary Cadillac CTS-V Wagon, demand for a proper M3 five-door in the U.S. is undeniable.

A Modern-Day Automotive Unicorn

The BMW M3 CS Touring is a four-wheeled contradiction. It’s a practical, family-friendly wagon that just happens to be a track-ready monster.

With a mighty twin-turbo straight-six untouched by hybrid tech, lots of carbon-fiber-infused motorsport DNA, and enough performance to embarrass supercars, it’s a true passion project from BMW M.

Unfortunately, for American enthusiasts, it remains a dream. But with the M5 Touring’s rise in popularity, and BMW doubling down on internal combustion M cars, as reported by Motor1, one of the leading automotive websites, there’s reason to believe that one day, the U.S. might finally get its hands on an M3 Touring. Until then, it remains one of the greatest wagons Americans can’t buy.