BMW will field a unique new race car at the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours after transforming what began as an April Fools’ joke into a real competition machine.
The German manufacturer has confirmed that the BMW M3 Touring 24H will compete in the SPX invitational class during the endurance classic at the Nordschleife on May 16–17. The unusual project started as a social media concept but quickly gained momentum after fans responded enthusiastically to the idea.
As a result, BMW committed to developing the car and now plans to showcase it during one of endurance racing’s most iconic events.
From social media joke to real race car
BMW first revealed images of the M3 Touring race concept on April 1 last year. At the time, the estate-style GT machine existed purely as a humorous concept.
However, the response from fans surprised the company. The post reached more than one million individual users and generated significant engagement across social media platforms. Encouraged by that reaction, BMW decided to transform the idea into reality and began development of the project. Over the following eight months, engineers built the car and prepared it for competition.
Although the car features the body shape of the BMW M3 Touring estate, it shares its technical foundation with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO race car.
The vehicle therefore combines familiar GT3 performance components with the distinctive wagon silhouette. Compared with the standard GT3 model, the M3 Touring 24H is also larger in several dimensions.
The car measures 200 millimetres longer than the conventional machine and stands 32 millimetres taller, including its rear wing. These modifications help accommodate the unique body style while maintaining race-ready performance.
BMW factory drivers confirmed for Nordschleife debut and 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours
BMW has selected four factory drivers to pilot the car during the Nürburgring 24 weekend.
Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde, Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen will share driving duties in the SPX class entry. Before the main race, the car will make its competitive debut during the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie’s NLS2 round this weekend.
The programme will also include the Nürburgring 24 Qualifiers event next month as part of the team’s preparation.
BMW M Motorsport leadership has highlighted the significance of the project, which blends fan engagement with engineering creativity.
“A project like the BMW M3 Touring 24H has never existed at BMW M Motorsport before,” said head of BMW M Motorsport Andreas Roos. “Many thanks to everyone who put their heart and soul into this unique car and brought it to life. I am thrilled – and at the same time, I am certain that our fans, who are never closer to us than at our second home on the Nürburgring, will be just as excited. I promise all fans a great show and look forward to an event of superlatives.”
Drivers embrace unusual opportunity
Driver Jens Klingmann also expressed enthusiasm about participating in such a distinctive project.
“This is truly a unique project, and I am absolutely delighted to be a part of it. 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. I am convinced that we can achieve a top result.”
The BMW M3 Touring 24H promises to be one of the most talked-about entries at this year’s Nürburgring 24.
With its unusual wagon silhouette, GT3-derived technology and fan-inspired origins, the car adds a unique element to the already diverse field. As the team prepares through the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie and the N24 Qualifiers, all eyes will be on whether the concept car can translate its novelty into a strong result on the track.
