B3/B4 BMW Alpina B3 Touring

[Rainer271]

BMW Alpina B3 Touring

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Centurion]

Too gorgeous and too expensive. However there is room to make the M340i more driver focused and I think the B3 will be a solid improvement.

 

[Rolf]

I like Alpina and their approach to performance BMW models. They the everyday BMW performance car with superb luxury, iron fist in velvet glove.

 

[hovabongZA]

 

[CrunchSlaughtered]

How could I miss this? The car has the S58 engine, detuned from 480 PS to 462 PS. I think this is the first time Alpina is using an M engine and the first time it decreases the power instead to increase it. Maybe the new exhaust regulations are too much for a small producer like Alpina to handle.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

look at that rear 3/4.....

 

[bimmer6]

How could I miss this? The car has the S58 engine, detuned from 480 PS to 462 PS. I think this is the first time Alpina is using an M engine and the first time it decreases the power instead to increase it. Maybe the new exhaust regulations are too much for a small producer like Alpina to handle.

I've been talking to the responsible product manager at IAA yesterday. He said that the B58 just couldn't deliver what Alpina wants this car to be, so they asked the M-GmbH for the S58 and were allowed to use it with their own turbochargers and so on.
He also said that the G20/21 is a much better base to work on than the F30. Overall quality like torsional rigidity, wind noise and so on is greatly improved according to him.
Quite remarkable is that he only worked one year for Alpina after finishing his studies to then already be put into charge for the B3.

 

[hovabongZA]

They did a remarkable job with the styling of this car.

 

[bimmer6]

@hovabongZA why the wtf rating?

 

[hovabongZA]

@hovabongZA why the wtf rating?

My bad I meant to press the “ informative” ratings ....it’s been changed.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Probably my favorite current BMW.

 

[LaVitaEBella]

Geez, hats off to this stunning car.
I really love the design, and I am sure that it is expensive.

 

[azeez samara]

 

[hovabongZA]

That's gorgeous!!

 

[dalab]

What is the little red thing in the air intake?
In that green it is a pleasure to observe it.
Alpina versions fit this generation of BMWs majestically well

 

[Rolf]

This B3 saloon looks stunning, the best current new 3 series model until the M3 arrives. This is Autocar first drive and they rated it very highly.

Alpina B3 2020 review
From £51,3509

Rating - 4 1/2 stars

Bavaria's alternative M3 gets an added injection of performance and dynamic polish

What is it?

The 'B' stands for Benzin – or petrol. Alpina has used the letter as a model prefix on all its petrol-engined cars for more than five decades.

The ‘3’ designates a BMW M340i xDrive-based car. Together, they signal perhaps the most serious threat to the new BMW M3 yet, attached as they are to the back of the latest Alpina B3.

As automotive relationships go, the one between Alpina and BMW is rare. Alpina, founded in 1965, doesn’t just take BMWs and add go-fast parts to create models like the B3. Instead, it enjoys a closely knit partnership with the German car maker and is integrated into the development process of each BMW, to the extent that it is often called on to engineer and test new factory components at its base in Buchloe near Munich in Germany before they actually go into production. In every BMW, there’s a hint of Alpina, or so it is said.

Priding itself on exclusivity and the ability to offer bespoke solutions not offered by BMW itself, Alpina has never wanted to sell cars in huge volumes. As chairman Andreas Bovensiepen tells us: “We’re happy to sell 2000 cars per year – no more, no less.” All of which explains why it so successfully coexists alongside BMW, whose global sales extended to over two million last year.

Set for UK launch later this year, the new four-wheel-drive B3 extends the number of Alpina models on sale to eight. Like its predecessor, it is set to be sold in both saloon and Touring bodystyles. It begins life at BMW’s Regensburg factory before being shipped in a partly built-up state to Alpina’s HQ, where it goes through a final assembly process. In overall positioning, the new B3 is aimed at a niche between the four-wheel drive M340i xDrive and upcoming M3, with pricing starting from £66,450 for the saloon driven here.

We hold the B3 in high regard at Autocar. The old model, known as BMW’s other M3 around these parts, wasn’t far off scoring a full five stars in our road test, when we described it as “rapid, rewarding but undemanding”. Can this new one deliver in the same way? We’ve got a circuit and an extended route on German country roads to find out.

Subtlety has traditionally differentiated Alpina models from their BMW cousins – and that holds true here. The new B3 updates the latest 3 Series design nicely, taking on a determined yet unobtrusive appearance that is highlighted by a unique front bumper extension, Alpina’s signature multi-spoke aluminium wheels, a bootlid spoiler and four round chromed tailpipes within a reworked valance to the rear bumper.

In combination with a moderate reduction in ride height over a standard 3 Series, the changes help to set it apart from the crowd. On the inside, there are unique trims and upholstery. A neat touch is the Alpina-specific digital instruments with the firm’s signature green hue featuring prominently within the speedo and rev counter.

The new B3’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol engine is based heavily on BMW M’s newly introduced S58 unit – the same inline six-cylinder that powers the new M3 and M4. It’s the first time Alpina has opted for an engine from M division rather than one from BMW’s standard line-up. Such are the changes, though, that it adopts a thoroughly different character.

What's it like?
The biggest departure is the adoption of new turbochargers. Developed by Alpina, they retain the same turbocharger housings as the new M3’s but run bespoke internals, including flow-optimised low-inertia turbine wheels to boost induction, along with other measures, including a redesigned air intake, new cooling system, Bosch DME8.6 S ECU and an Alpina-specific stainless steel exhaust system that features its own unique particulate filter.

With 462bhp and 516lb ft, the new longitudinally mounted unit has 29bhp and 29lb ft more than the N55-based Alpina engine in the most powerful old B3 model, the B3 S. By comparison, the standard version of the new M3 has 473bhp and 443lb ft.

On the right road, the B3 is stunningly quick. It is quite a different experience to drive from the new M3, though. Deliberately so. Whereas the new M car relies primarily on revs to form its performance, the latest B3 sticks to Alpina’s long tradition of endowing its road cars with a mountain of usable torque – and the result on a heavily pegged throttle, both off the line and through the gears, is nothing short of stunning.

It might lack the acoustic voracity of the M3 but the accelerative ability of the B3 is beyond question. The B3’s smaller turbos not only help to plump out the torque curve but they also give the new engine outstanding manners. It responds crisply to throttle inputs and accepts revs with great enthusiasm. It’s within the mid-range, where all that torque is concentrated, that it’s at its savage best. There’s an engaging keenness and silken smoothness to the delivery, so much so that the 7000rpm ignition cutout seems rather conservative.

Channelling drive to each wheel is an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox with a beefed-up torque converter as well as Alpina’s Switchtronic manual shift function, via either buttons or paddles on the steering wheel. It operates in combination with BMW’s xDrive four-wheel drive system and a reworked version of BMW M’s electronic M Sport rear differential.

There’s a fitting urgency to the shifts in each of the three driving modes: Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus. As with the engine, there’s an appealing smoothness of operation and a feeling of deep-seated engineering to the gearbox, in both automatic and manual modes. The gearing itself is superbly judged. If you’re in the market for a B3, though, be sure to choose the paddle-shift option. The button shift is nowhere near as satisfying to use.

Alpina quotes an official 0-62mph time of just 3.8sec for the B3 saloon, making this the fastest-accelerating 3 Series-based model it has placed into production. Such is Alpina’s confidence in the B3’s straight-line stability that it doesn’t restrict top speed, which is a claimed 188mph.

The B3 is softer than the new M3 – not considerably so but sufficient to give it an appeal all of its own. Its chassis has been extensively reworked with Eibach springs and stabilisers as well as reprogrammed adaptive dampers from the M340i. It also gains greater negative camber at each wheel. The standard 19in forged rims are shod with bespoke 265/35 front and 275/35 rear Pirelli P Zero tyres that have been developed specifically for the new model. Bovensiepen says: “It wasn’t our intention to make a more sporting car than the M3. Our philosophy is always to create a car that is sporting but also with comfort for long distances – a relaxing and smooth car that you can get out of after long journeys and still feel good.”

It steers with an alert action, proving engaging even on the most mundane of roads. There’s a lovely maturity to the way the whole chassis operates, with carefully judged compression and rebound properties giving it a nicely controlled yet an authentically athletic feel. Road shock is dealt with quickly before it has a chance to unsettle your chosen line, even when loaded up in corners over bad surfaces. Body control is also exemplary, with very little lean.

The standard adaptive dampers have two modes: Comfort and Sport. The additional Sport Plus mode delays the action of the recalibrated stability control function but retains the same damper characteristics as in Sport. Even in Comfort, it turns in sharply, with abundant grip and great poise. Switch to Sport Plus and it serves up progressive power oversteer that is so benign and controllable that you wonder why BMW just doesn’t take the chassis tune for the M3 itself.

Alpina is not as closely focused on running at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife circuit during development of new models as BMW M. “We go there, but only for some set-up functions. Our suspensions are mainly tuned on German country roads and autobahns – not the Nordschleife,” says Bovensiepen. “Our philosophy is to build a car you can drive all day, not just a lap or two.”

It shows. The B3 is a brilliantly balanced and rounded machine – responsive and direct but not at the expense of comfort and ride refinement. As Alpina suggests, it’s a car you can rely on to take you long distances at high speed and with a high degree of entertainment without it being wearing on the driver.

Should I buy one?
The B3 is one reason not to opt for the new M3 when it arrives here early next year. With that magnificently muscular engine and a superbly sorted chassis, it is a spectacularly compelling car to drive.

It may look subtle inside and out, but its speed and performance are exceptional while its ride and handling possess the intrinsic magic only a truly enthusiastic group of engineers working closely together can conjure. By remaining small in a world of automotive giants, Alpina has managed to remain faithful to what it does best: build a great driver’s car from the basis of an existing BMW.

The hardest decision is whether to choose the saloon or the Touring.

Alpina B3 specification

Where Germany Price £66,450 On sale September Engine 6 cyls in line, 2993cc, twin-turbocharged, petrol Power 462bhp at 5500-7000rpm Torque 516lb ft at 2500-4500rpm Gearbox 8-spd automatic Kerb weight 1785kg 0-62mph 3.8sec Top speed 188mph Economy 25.4mpg CO2, tax band 252g/km, 37% Rivals Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, BMW M3, Mercedes-AMG C63 S

 

[TheDeadMan]

My buddy ordered a touring and was invited to an event after that.

 

[Rolf]

My favorite new 3-series models, love the Emerald Green B3 Touring

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Rolf]

Autocar just driven the Alpina B3 Touring and have given it the full 5-stars rating.

Alpina B3 Touring 2020 UK review

*****

Buchloe's take on the BMW M340i Touring is a 456bhp, 516lb ft super-estate that melds finesse and ferocity to astonishing effect

What is it?
Its maker would probably tell you the B3 Touring is the only car you’re ever likely to need.
In fairness, this isn't an outrageous claim. The new Alpina B3 Touring represents a thorough going-over of the already impressive BMW M340i Touring, though even this description sells it somewhat short.


Alpina’s aim is to create something just as quick as an M3 in the real world but with appreciably better road manners and easier drivability, not to mention far less aggravated looks. Obviously something has to give, and in the case of the B3, that something is track-day aptitude – the hard edge of control and anger that M-division wares need to have.

But when was the last time you took your estate car for some hard laps?

The B3 – both in Touring and saloon forms – is unashamedly set up for the road, and while Alpina does some fine-tuning work at the Nürburgring (ABS tuning etc), it mainly tests on German country routes. And of course the autobahn, where its fastest conversions now top 200mph.

The modifications for the B3 include altered suspension geometry for more natural steering feel and stability at very high speeds. There’s also upgraded brakes, Alpina’s unmissable wheel-and-tyre package, some aero addenda, and specific tuning for the rear limited-slip differential and the division of drive between the front and rear axles.

That’s right: the B3 now comes only with four-wheel drive, which might disappoint some, though the truth is that rear-wheel drive isn’t so popular among owners of these ‘everyday supercars’, especially in Alpina’s home market. There’s also the small matter of stability and traction, not least because of what now lurks in the car’s engine bay.

This is the first time the B3 has ever used an adapted version of an M-division engine instead of the ‘ordinary’ six-cylinder found in more commonplace 3 Series derivatives. The S58, which serves in the X3M and will soon appear in the M4 and M4, takes the form of a 2993cc twin-turbo unit, though Alpina fits its own turbine housings and comprehensively beefs up the cooling apparatus.

The result is 456bhp and 516lb ft – the latter being the reason why the car’s eight-speed ZF gearbox and driveshafts have been reinforced. By comparison, the M3 Competition that we’ll get here in the UK makes 503bhp but only 469lb ft, and so the two cars have an identical 0-62mph time of 3.8sec.

What's it like?
Two things quickly become clear. The first is that, while BMW has given Alpina an unusually good base to work from, the B3 Touring is extraordinarily well-rounded.

Take it as read that the 3 Series Touring now feels ideally sized for fast family-car duties. There’s plenty of space inside and you get a real sense of maturity on the move, but the car avoids the occasional awkwardness that comes with driving something as large as the 5 Series Touring – or Alpina’s V8-engined B5 Touring – through towns and along B-roads.

Compared with the M340i, what the Alpina then gives the driver is, simultaneously, a more connected feeling with the road and, in the unique Comfort Plus damper setting, the ability to tread and move more fluidly over all but the roughest surfaces. It’s an extremely neat trick, even if this car’s optional 20in Alpina Classic wheels and 30-section sidewalls can still generate a slight fidget and are marginally noisier than you might expect (though these are well within acceptable levels for something of this performance potential). In short, in normal driving, the B3 covers ground in more satisfying fashion than the M340i, and indeed its esteemed rivals from Audi and Mercedes.

The second thing is the mad adaptability of the car’s temperament. The previous-generation B3 and its B4 coupé sibling had a tendency to step off the mark quite abruptly and the torque delivery thereafter was, in a word, boosty. This new car seems considerably more deft when you’re just mulching around with the engine below 2500rpm, which is when the performance really starts to kick in. The powertrain is softly but muscularly responsive, the steering well geared and weighted, and the whole show just very easy and comfortable to live with. Sinking into the optionally Merino leather-clad seats for an hour or three is no chore at all, whatever the environment and conditions you’re travelling through.

Knock the powertrain and chassis into Sport or Sport Plus, though, and you’ll begin to discover the other side of the B3 Touring. The car never comes over as raw as the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate, or as fun-loving, but it really is unspeakably quick. And despite the fact Alpina has shifted the default torque-split subtly forward in comparsion to the M340i, it feels thoroughbred on the move. There is balance, poise and composure in abundance.

Another realm in which this car obviously exceeds its predecessor is in body control. There’s enough roll to keep progress feeling natural and, by extension of that, confidence-inspiring, but barely an iota more. Hit an off-camber crest at what feels at least 30mph too fast and this chassis just breathes it in then almost immediately resets. Such control allows Alpina’s suspension geometry to work at its communicative and accurate best, and so while an RS4 might pull bigger lateral g-forces, average drivers will probably feel more comfortable pushing the Alpina to its limits. Equally, there’s clearly enough here to keep the connoisseurs happy: the B3 Touring flows beautifully and when you want to drive the thing very hard indeed, the chassis and powertrain respond in kind. It’s difficult to imagine the car getting flustered.

There are, of course, further factors that’ll determine how well this car scores in any full road test. Fuel economy and touring range are important for an everyday machine, and we’ll assess those in due course.

Should I buy one?
Frankly, the real question here is ‘can I afford one?’. Because on first impressions, the B3 Touring does enough to sit at the top of an already extremely talented and tempting mid-ranking super-estate clique.
It’s a more affable everyday companion than the hot-rod V8 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate and more engaging and sweeter to drive than the dead-pan Audi RS4. It could be quicker than either, too. We’ll soon find out. As for character and exclusivity, Alpinas rarely lack either quality, and you’re more likely to spot an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera on the road than you are another B3 Touring.
The price, of course, is high for a 3 Series. But even at £68,000, the Alpina splits the Audi and the Mercedes on initial outlay, and is well-equipped. Tally up what’s included and what isn’t and you might be surprised to find that the B3 Touring is actually the least expensive of the three like for like.
Given all the above, perhaps you can understand why, at least at this early stage, it’s provisionally five stars for the Alpina B3 Touring. Stay tuned for the full road test, but in short: what a wonderful machine.

 

[J.E]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies