by BMW M5 Touring Success: 50/50 with the Sedan
When car enthusiasts beg for specific types of vehicles, such as wagons, shooting brakes, or hot hatches, the manufacturers’ response is almost always the same: not enough buyers, insufficient volume, not worth the cost of tooling. BMW nevertheless conducted an experiment, and the only Touring wagon it sells in the US — the M5 — is proving what enthusiasts never could.
During a recent interview with BimmerLife, BMW North America’s Vice President of Product Management Michael Keller revealed that sales of the new M5 Touring are approximately 50/50 with the traditional M5 sedan. By any measure, this is an extraordinary result for a body style that many manufacturers long considered a niche product in the States, where the market has shrunk to fewer than 10 models across all brands.
“We see it with the M5 Touring… We are seeing sustained demand. We also saw customers petition for the M3 Touring to bring it to the US. There is momentum in the market. These are all signs that we continue to monitor the market and initiate the right discussions,” Keller said, concluding his statement with: “We will look at Touring concepts where it makes sense for the US market, because right now we are very pleased with the M5.”
Is BMW opening the door for more wagons?
Keller does not confirm more wagons for North America, but the conclusion is obvious. BMW sees demand. It hears the customers. It is making a profit on every M5 Touring that leaves the showroom, and it is all building a business case, one signature at a time. Proof that the brand is willing to indulge American buyers is the recently announced M3 CS Handschalter — a true six-speed farewell variant of the current generation.
To be honest, BMW could have skipped this model, and nobody would have complained. It still built it because the math worked out, and a starting price of $107,100 before delivery typically makes the math work. The Handschalter exists because those enthusiasts keep asking, and BMW responded. An M3 Touring or some other BMW wagon seems like a reasonable next step in this relationship.
Potential Models and the Future
This success of the M5 Touring could be a turning point for the US market, where wagons have long been considered unpopular. If BMW continues to receive positive signals from buyers, it is quite likely that the Touring lineup will expand, including the long-awaited M3 Touring. This would not only satisfy the demands of enthusiasts but also strengthen the brand’s position in a segment that was previously ignored. Thus, BMW is not merely responding to demand but actively shaping a new market niche where practicality is combined with high performance.
