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The BMW M3 Touring 24H rolled onto the legendary Nordschleife with a point to prove, and it delivered in emphatic fashion. Lining up at the season opener of the Nurburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS) alongside four BMW M4 GT3 EVOs, the estate-bodied racer turned heads from the moment it hit the tarmac. Piloted by Jens Klingmann and Ugo de Wilde, this audacious touring car powered its way to 13th overall and first in the SPX class, a result that silenced any lingering doubts about its competitive credentials. With 25,000 fans packed around the circuit, the atmosphere was electric, and the M3 Touring 24H sat right at the centre of it all.
ROWE Racing’s flagship entry, the number 99 BMW M4 GT3 EVO driven by Dan Harper and Jordan Pepper, initially crossed the line in second place. However, the car was later elevated to the top step of the podium after the leading Mercedes crew, which featured Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen, received a disqualification. It was a result that capped a superb day for the BMW camp, extending an impressive run of form at the Nurburgring for the ROWE outfit. Team principal Hans-Peter Naundorf highlighted the importance of racking up meaningful laps and building driver confidence ahead of the gruelling 24-hour race later in the season.
The day was not without its setbacks, though. The second ROWE Racing M4 GT3 EVO, crewed by Augusto Farfus, Raffaele Marciello, and Kelvin van der Linde, launched from a promising third on the grid but was forced into the pits with a technical fault, dropping the car to 25th. Meanwhile, Schubert Motorsport marked its own return to the Nordschleife with a solid 12th-place finish for its number 77 M4 GT3 EVO, driven by Klingmann, de Wilde, and Charles Weerts. Customer squad Gamota Racing also put in a respectable shift, bringing their M4 GT3 EVO home in 16th overall and third in the SP9 Pro-Am class.
Beyond the raw results, the real story of the day was the connection between the BMW M3 Touring 24H and the fans who flocked to see it. Spectators crowded the pit lane and the starting grid, eager to get close to the machine that had generated so much anticipation since its announcement. Klingmann spoke glowingly about the car’s balance, its refinement, and the absence of any mechanical gremlins, noting that even the finer details critical for endurance performance were already falling into place. The reception from the crowd, he said, reflected the passion and craftsmanship poured into every element of the car’s development.
With this debut firmly in the rear-view mirror, all eyes now turn to the qualifying race and, ultimately, the 24-hour event itself. The BMW M3 Touring 24H has proven it belongs on this stage, matching the pace of GT3 machinery and showing strong early progress on Yokohama rubber. For Schubert Motorsport and BMW M Motorsport, the mission is clear: keep refining, keep pushing, and arrive at the big race with a car that is ready to go the distance.
