What started as an April Fools’ joke in 2025 has officially turned into one of the most exciting storylines in endurance racing. The race-ready version of the BMW M3 Touring will make its debut at the legendary 24 Hours of Nürburgring in May 2026. BMW M3 Touring 24H shares its technical foundation with the BMW M4 GT3 Evo but gets engineering modifications for racing.
From an April Fool’s joke to race car reality
BMW M Motorsport posted images of a supposed BMW M3 Touring GT race car on social media as an April Fools’ prank in 2025. The reaction of the fans was massive, with over 1 million users reached, and more than 1.6 million views gathered.
This engagement far exceeded typical BMW M Motorsport posts. BMW decided to turn these people’s interest into a real-world project. By summer 2025, development was green-lit, and in just eight months, the BMW M3 Touring 24H was built.
Built for performance: Technical details
The BMW M3 Touring 24H shares its technical foundation with the BMW M4 GT3 Evo but uses the body of the M3 Touring. Key differences include:
- 200mm longer than the M4 GT3 Evo
- 32mm taller (including rear wing)
A car built for the fans
BMW has made it clear that this car is for the fans. For its preparatory races, the livery includes real fan comments taken from the April Fools’ social media post. For the main 24-hour race, the car will receive another special livery. This also highlights BMW’s close connection with Nürburgring fans, often considered the brand’s “second home.”
Nürburgring 2026: The big stage
The car will officially compete on May 16–17, 2026, at the Nürburgring 24-hour race, held at the iconic Nordschleife circuit, famously known as the “Green Hell.”
Before that, it will:
- Make its racing debut at the second round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS)
- Continue preparations at the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers
Driver line-up and race class
The car will be run by Schubert Motorsport and driven by a strong factory line-up:
- Jens Klingmann
- Ugo de Wilde
- Connor De Phillippi
- Neil Verhagen
The BMW M3 Touring 24H will compete in the SPX class, meaning it won’t directly compete for overall victory. That fight will be handled by three BMW M4 GT3 Evo entries in the top SP9 category. Like the #77 M4 GT3 Evo, the M3 Touring 24H will run on tyres from Yokohama Rubber Company.
“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,” quoted Jens Klingmann, a German professional racing driver.
Also read: BMW’s first true electric M car due for 2027
Why this car matters in motorsport
The BMW M3 Touring 24H stands out as a fan-driven race project and a rare example of a performance wagon turned endurance race car. It also showcases how social media engagement can influence real motorsport decisions. It’s not chasing outright victory, but it’s guaranteed to be one of the most talked-about entries at Nürburgring 2026.
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