Petrolheads were sent into a tizz earlier this year when BMW unveiled the first M3 Touring. However, this model is by no means the first high-performance estate car. Several came before and we take a look at some of the more iconic high-speed load luggers.

Station wagons were once the bread and butter of the nuclear family. They were in essence the SUVs of their day. But in 1994 Audi teamed up with Porsche to create one of the most desirable estate cars of all time: the RS2 (above).

Under the bonnet is a turbocharged in-line five heavily massaged by Porsche engineers. A larger turbocharger, high boost pressure and new engine management unleashed 232kW and 410Nm from the 2.2l motor. Power was sent to the wheels by Audi’s rally-proven quattro system.

The result of all-paw traction was an independently tested sub five-second 0-100km/h sprint time and a top speed of 260km/h. The RS2 wore its performance credentials on the outside with Porsche alloys (that covered calipers from the same parts bin) and side-view mirrors, a larger air dam in the front bumper and a body-wide rear light.

Front occupants were held in place by electrically adjustable Recaro seats. The driver kept an eye on vital information, including oil pressure, oil temperature and voltageon white-faced dials.

The Volvo 850 Estate earned its performance reputation on the racetracks of the UK as the somewhat competitive challenger in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). What started out as, essentially, a marketing exercise resulted in two hot road cars: the 850 T-5R and the 850R.

The T-5R is quite rare here, with the latter making it to SA in much larger numbers. The 850R was fitted with a transversely mounted in-line five. The turbocharged engine developed 186kW along with 350Nm of torque in cars fitted with manual transmission. This power bump came from a larger turbo, among other things. It was, at the time, the most powerful car made by the Swedish marque. It was also the first Volvo that could reach 250km/h.

Drive was sent to the front axle and manual-fitted cars featured a viscous limited slip diff to put down the power. A subtle, by today’s standards, styling kit included larger alloys, a lip on the front bumper, a rear spoiler and side skirts. The hottest Volvo also had a slightly hunkered down stance and was not available in the custard yellow: that colour was reserved for the T-5R.

Alfa Romeo is not a brand that springs to mind when you think of estate cars. The 156 GTA Sportwagon is included here for its rarity and its beauty. The Walter da Silva design of the 156 worked as well on the sedan as it did on the estate. The GTA badge was a nod to fast/race Alfas from the 1960s.

Under the bonnet was an enlarged version of Alfa’s famous Busso engine. The silky-sounding V6 produced 184kW and 300Nm in 3.2l guise. Power was directed solely to the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

Understeer was really an issue with the 156 and 147 GTAs. Brembo brake calipers along with larger discs were fitted to slow the high-performance versions.

BMW was stuffing V10 engines into several of its top M cars in the late 2000s. The company was drawing links between its Formula One activities and road cars. The M5 Touring is a direct result of this. This family car had a naturally aspirated V10 that produced 373kW and 520Nm.

The engine was a hi-tech unit that could spin to more than 8,000rpm. It had a high compression ratio and the blocks were forged in the same plant as the F1 engines. Power was directed to the rear wheels through a single-clutch SMG transmission. If you got the launch control to work, it could reel off a 0-100km/h run in 4.8 seconds.

Top speed was limited to 250km/h, but uncorked the M5 wagon would clear 300km/h.

Mercedes has many performance wagons to choose from, but this one rates up there, mostly for its inspiring engine. The W204 C63 is fitted with the company’s famed M156 power plant.

This engine was the first developed entirely by AMG after Mercedes took ownership of the speed merchants. The naturally aspirated V8 is placed in many models within the stable. A dry-sump version is even found in the SLS AMG supercar. In the C63, the V8 with the awe-inspiring soundtrack develops from 336kW.

The C63 was available in sedan, coupe and estate versions. The latter had all the pace and fun factor of its siblings, but with the added practicality of a large load area. In all C63 applications the V8 is mated with a seven-speed automatic transmission.

More than 600Nm of torque is on tap, making for plenty of smoky sideways action. The appearance may have been subtle, but you’d definitely hear one of these coming from a mile away.

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.

Would you like to comment on this article? Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.