Autocar UK compares the F80 BMW M3 sedan and the diesel-powered Alpina D3.
The Bi-Turbo drivetrain of the Alpina D3 draws on the excellent characteristics of the underlying BMW fully aluminum, straight-six 3-liter capacity engine, the latest generation of common rail direct injection and a two-stage turbocharger with variable turbine geometry.
The engine produces 350 bhp (257 kW) at 4,000 rpm and an impressive 700 Nm of torque (516 lb-ft) between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm.
The hardware of the 8-speed sports automatic transmission with ALPINA SWITCH-TRONIC, further developed in collaboration with ZF, is explicitly aimed at satisfying the requirements of the high torque generated by the D3 Bi-Turbo.
D3 Bi-Turbo accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 278 km/h
The new M3 and M4 use a 3.0 liter turbocharged engine that produces 425 HP and 560 Nm (413 lb-ft) of torque. The car
weighs under 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs). From 0-100 km/h (0-62), the 2014 BMW M4 runs in 4.1 seconds with DCT while the M3 runs the same distance in 4.3 seconds, with the same transmission.
Car and Driver tested the M4 with Launch Control at 3.9 seconds through 60 mph.
Should you satisfy your high-performance sedan cravings with a petrol or a diesel engine? Steve Sutcliffe will tell us in the video below.
