The BMW M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive, as this model’s officially designated, doesn’t come cheap. At P 10.49-million, it’s almost double the price to the already stellar M340i xDrive Touring. Now, if you happen to be gauging an M3 from that perspective, you’re clearly not the clientele. Instead, you should be looking at this as a more practical, more spacious, all-weather capable Porsche 911 that also happens to be at least P 5-million cheaper. From that viewpoint, this one’s a bargain.

“Competition” in BMW M parlance simply means more power from the 3.0-liter straight-six. Here, it makes 530 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 650 Nm of torque from 2,750 to 5,730 rpm. Sure enough, dip the accelerator and the M3 Touring belts out a sonorous soundtrack along with brutally quick acceleration. 0 to 100 km/h is obliterated in 3.6 seconds, and if you dare, it’ll dispatch the second century in just 12.4 seconds.

Even more surprising is how the M3 Touring is adept at being a daily driver. Nudge it around gently, and it’ll be obedient as a well-trained labrador. The decision to go with an 8-speed torque converter automatic (as opposed to a dual clutch) pays dividends here, but so does the decision to equip driver-selectable modes. These are three preset ones—Road, Sport, and Track—accessible via a button near the shifter or the touchscreen and two driver-programmable ones—M1 and M2—accessible via red buttons on the steering wheel. It configures the sharpness of the engine, transmission, steering, adaptive dampers, and even the driving aids. In short, you can dial up or dial down the BMW M experience to your liking.

At 1,865 kilograms, the M3 Touring isn’t a light car. However, from behind the wheel, you won’t feel it. It has the poise and aggression (when pushed) of a blue-blooded sportscar that once you’ve become engrossed in the business of driving, you’d have to stare at the rearview mirror to remind you that it’s a wagon. Bad news for the wife and kids, then.

The steering is downright perfect. It’s weighty, deliberate, and sensibly geared. Meanwhile, the body control itself shows depth. It’s firm, but composed at low speeds but also stable and secure at high speeds. It rides low, especially with the staggered wheels and tires (19s at the front, 20s at the back), but it doesn’t scrape though anything. This dynamic polish is a testament as to how BMW engineers got the fundamentals so right. Naysayers maybe quick to judge the M xDrive system, but it’s so well-executed, it comes with no perceptible penalty. More than anything, it enhances the rear-biased nature of the chassis by increasing traction and confidence. And sure, you can still opt to disconnect the front axle if you so wish.

In terms of looks, the M3’s large, gaping “kidney lung” is still divisive, but with the aggressive bumpers and widened tracks, it works. In all honesty, it’s best viewed from the back where the exaggerated rear haunches meet the wagon roofline. Together with the four central pipes, it’s reminiscent somewhat of the Z3 M Coupe, one of the best dramatic looking BMW rear ends.

Inside, the M3 Touring is all business, sticking close to a formula set by other 3 Series Touring models. There’s plenty of space to go around. At the back, there’s a sizeable hump in the middle so that means long-legged individuals must stay outboard. There’s plenty of storage spaces to go around too, but the best part here is its cargo carrying capacity. With the rear seats up, it already accommodates 500 liters, but it can grow to 1,510 liters with the rear seats down. Better still, there’s no load lip and the hatch opening is nice and low. Plus, the rear glass can be opened separately and the rear seats folded down in a 40/20/40 split; this here is the last word when it comes to interior flexibility.

The front seats though provide some drama. Covered in Merino leather, these M Sport seats are adjustable in every which way and even come with a light-up badge near the headrest. From there, drivers settle down in a driving position that’s spot on and quite low.

The interface, as always, is provided by two screens—a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14.9-inch central display. It has unique fonts and displays, which adds uniqueness, but not to legibility. Apart from a few driver-related controls, most functions are only accessible via the touchscreen, or if you prefer, turns of a click wheel—yes, it still has one of those. The main menu looks crowded, but at least the depth is no more than two submenus deep enabling you to master every tap and swipe within mere hours.

Features-wise, the M3 Touring is quite basic, all things considered. It has power adjustable front seats, three-zone climate control, a wireless charger, smartphone integration, a power tailgate, and a 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system. That’s it. Looking for any form of ADAS? Sorry, that’s not present here. You get front and rear parking sensors with a rear camera, and BMW’s Parking Assistant, but that’s about it. No adaptive cruise control, no blind spot indicators, no lane keeping assist. In some ways, it’s true to the M3’s roots since it’s a pure driver’s car. However, it’s also a sign of BMW Philippines not ticking the right options vis-à-vis the price.

Lack of electronic driving aids aside, the BMW M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive is one deeply compelling car. It’s a whole lot of money, but it’s also one that’s deeply desirable. No other car marries practicality with scintillating dynamics so completely. This mix of thought and emotion, performance and utility, makes the M3 the only car you’ll never need for as long as you can afford it. Now, it could be argued that the M3 is the purest expression of BMW M, and for that, the existence of the M3 Touring dilutes that lineage. Frankly, it doesn’t. If anything, it brings something new and fresh to the world of fast wagons; something that only BMW and its go-fast M division can.