Jordan Pepper tries BMW M3 Touring 24H at Goodwood: “Almost better than our M4 GT3”

Some cars arrive at the Goodwood Festival of Speed to chase records. Others come to celebrate motorsport history. Then there was the BMW M3 Touring 24H – a racing estate that wasn’t even supposed to exist.

Every time the black BMW rolled out of the paddock and headed towards Goodwood’s famous hillclimb, spectators instinctively reached for their cameras. Fans lined the hay bales, photographers searched for the perfect angle and even marshals paused for a moment to watch the unlikely machine disappear through Molecomb Corner.

Then came the sound.

As Jordan Pepper attacked the hill, balancing the car on the limit through Goodwood’s unforgiving ribbon of tarmac, the crowd responded with a collective gasp followed by cheers. It happened run after run throughout the weekend. Whether they were devoted BMW enthusiasts or simply lovers of great motorsport stories, everyone seemed captivated by the outrageous racing wagon.

Pepper rewarded them with spectacular commitment behind the wheel. Consistently among the fastest combustion-powered cars throughout the Festival, the South African qualified an impressive third for Sunday’s Timed Shootout before eventually finishing fifth overall. Yet the stopwatch never felt like the most important story.

The BMW M3 Touring 24H had already achieved something far greater. It had won Goodwood’s heart.

GT REPORT brings you an exclusive interview with Jordan Pepper, as he reflects on driving the fan-build legend, BMW Motorsport’s ambitious project and why the M3 Touring 24H is already an icon.

The car BMW’s fans asked for

The Touring did not start life as a Goodwood novelty. Its roots run back to the road car and a fanbase that wanted a racing version BMW had nowhere obvious to enter.

“Actually, it started in 2022 when the road car, the Touring, came out,” BMW M Motorsport boss Andreas Roos told GT REPORT in an earlier interview. “Already when the car came out, there was a huge community loving this car.”

With no GT3 category built for a four-door estate, the idea sat until last year’s April Fool renderings drew a response BMW had not banked on. The car followed in around eight months, carrying much of the BMW M4 GT3 underneath its Touring bodywork.

At the Nürburgring 24 Hours the Touring ran with the GT3 field and finished fourth overall, before BMW retired it after a single outing.

“But also from our racers’ heart, we also wanted to have a car which is competitive,” Jens Klingmann told GT REPORT after the race. The BMW M works driver was part of the programme from the start. The result answered the question. “It will go down in BMW history, that’s for sure.”

A driver perfectly suited to an extraordinary project

Few people were better placed to tell the Touring’s remarkable story than Jordan Pepper.

One of the world’s leading GT racers, the South African has built an impressive international career as a Lamborghini factory driver, competing at the sharp end of GT World Challenge Europe, DTM, IMSA and many of the world’s biggest endurance races, including the Bathurst 12 Hour and the 24 Hours of Spa.

Known for his smooth but relentlessly committed driving style, Pepper has become one of GT racing’s most respected and versatile competitors. Equally important, his infectious enthusiasm has made him a favourite among fans.

That made him the perfect ambassador for BMW’s most unconventional racing car.

While the M3 Touring 24H may have started life as an internet joke, Pepper immediately recognised he was driving something much bigger — a race car created by passionate engineers and embraced by enthusiasts around the world.

“Far more superior than anyone could have imagined”

Reflecting on his first Goodwood Festival of Speed behind the wheel of the Touring, Pepper immediately highlighted what makes both the event and the car so special.

“Goodwood obviously is just a special event, bringing the whole motorsport community far and wide. History, dating back to the good old times all the way to these brand-new modern GT3 cars. And we’re turning up here with something even more special than that.”

He smiles before returning to the car’s remarkable origins.

“What started out as an April Fool’s joke turned into something I think far more superior than anyone could have imagined. It’s just a proud moment to see the wagon go up the hill. It’s a proper good race car.”

Perhaps most surprising was Pepper’s assessment of just how capable BMW’s one-off creation had become.

“It’s kind of easy to say that it’s because it’s not a GT3 car and having to fit into those regulations. BMW, with limited time of development, were still able to produce something that I would say is almost a little bit better than our M4 GT3, which is just a testament to the great team that we have at BMW Motorsport.”

Those are bold words considering the proven pedigree of BMW’s GT3 programme, but they perfectly underline just how impressive the Touring became in such a short space of time.

Racing engineers simply couldn’t resist racing

Initially, outright performance was never the objective. BMW simply wanted to build something different. But racing engineers have competitive instincts. Once the Touring completed its first tests, the project inevitably became about making it as fast as possible.

“It wasn’t really about the performance. It was more about showing up with something that was very different. But you’ve got racers at heart, and quite quickly when the car hit the track, the goal was to make it as quick as possible.”

That competitive spirit produced one of the Nürburgring 24 Hours’ biggest surprises.

“For this car to go on and almost get an overall podium at the Nürburgring was truly sensational, considering it only did its first rollout in March, which is exceptional.”

Developing a competitive endurance racing car normally takes years. BMW did it in just a few months.

The car everyone came to see

At Goodwood, the Touring’s popularity quickly became impossible to ignore.

Every run up the hill drew enormous crowds. Spectators applauded its every appearance, photographers eagerly followed it around the circuit and marshals smiled as the unlikely racing estate thundered between the famous flint walls.

Pepper could feel that energy every time he strapped into the cockpit.

“Every day turning up to the track with a smile, just loving it and getting better and better. Hopefully we can try and fight for an overall podium… but I think it’s a far bigger event than that. We’re just here to put on a good show for everyone.”

That philosophy perfectly captured the spirit of the project.

Although Pepper qualified third for the Final Shootout and ultimately secured an impressive fifth place overall, the biggest victory came from the reaction of the thousands of fans lining the hill.

“Just to see the reception and the love for this beautiful M3 Touring is incredible. It gives me so much joy to be the guy who can take it up the hill and show it off to the fans.”

More than just another GT car

Underneath its dramatic Touring bodywork, the car still shares much of its DNA with BMW’s successful M4 GT3. Pepper immediately recognised those familiar characteristics.

“It shares a lot of fundamentals with our M4 GT3, so it handles pretty similarly, which is also an incredible car.”

But there are noticeable differences.

“I’m quite impressed with how stable the aero platform is. It’s very good. It’s obviously a very cool car with a big wing on the rear, which is helping for sure. It’s got some slight differences, a little bit stiffer because it’s a slightly different chassis.”

Yet when asked what impressed him most, Pepper didn’t mention the aerodynamics or chassis.

His answer returned to exactly where the story began.

“I think the coolest thing about the car is just the love and the passion from all the fans and the support from everyone. It’s just cool to see such an icon. It’s only a few months old as a race car, and it’s already an icon in the world. Hopefully it will be for years to come.”

Flat out for the fans

That icon may have won hearts, but Goodwood still had to be driven. Aside from the sentiment, and fitting neatly with that ‘racers at heart’ theme, the hillclimb presents a unique challenge even for experienced racing drivers.

The surface changes throughout the weekend, dirt is dragged onto the racing line by rally and off-road machinery and every run offers different conditions.

Pepper explained why consistency can be so difficult.

“It’s quite tricky because there are a lot of different cars here. It’s a very hot, dry weekend, so the grass is dead. There’s a lot of dirt blowing onto the track, and when you go out behind rallycross cars pulling dirt onto the circuit, it makes it a bit tricky.”

Even so, his ambition remained clear.

“For sure we’d love to be in the top three. I don’t think we’re going to fight the two all-electric cars, but to be the best combustion engine would be an incredible achievement.”

Ultimately, though, trophies were never the priority.

“The biggest goal is just to have fun, just to enjoy it. Every time we go out, we want to put on a show for the guys and get the best out of it. The Shootout is a fun little target afterwards, but it’s more about the enjoyment for everyone around it.”

Looking back across the Festival, it is difficult to argue with that philosophy. The BMW M3 Touring 24H may not have claimed victory in the Timed Shootout. But it won something far more meaningful.

Because in an era where motorsport can sometimes feel increasingly polished and predictable, BMW M Motorsport reminded everyone why fans fall in love with racing in the first place.

Sometimes the best ideas begin as jokes. Sometimes engineers simply cannot resist building the impossible. And sometimes the people standing behind the barriers become such an important part of the story that the car no longer belongs solely to its creators.

The BMW M3 Touring 24H was built by engineers. It became a legend because the fans demanded it.

Photos by Michal Pospisil

GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED | REPORT AND PHOTO GALLERY | MCLAREN MCL-HY | BMW M3 TOURING 24H