While we impatiently wait for the reveal of the upcoming BMW M3, there may be yet another upcoming high-performance 3 Series to get excited about. Except, this one doesn’t come from BMW M. Instead it comes from a separate company, one that makes some of the most high-performance and special BMWs on the market. It’s the ALPINA B3 and it’s just bee caught testing for the first time. (We don’t own the spy photos but see them here)
The ALPINAs are always the more luxurious alternatives to M cars but with just as much, if not even more, speed. For instance, the ALPINA B5 is every bit as quick as an M5 in the real world but it’s more luxurious and less hardcore. We expect the same thing to come from the new ALPINA B3 when it finally debuts. This new B3 will be based on the current G20 BMW 3 Series and that’s a great place to start. We’ve already driven every current version of the 3er and have high expectations for the ALPINA B3.
It will likely use a modified version of the brand’s brilliant B58 engine. Typically, ALPINA replaces the pistons, intake and exhaust manifolds, turbochargers and intercoolers to create a much more powerful, more thrilling engine. Considering the wonders ALPINA has worked with previous BMW engines, we can’t wait to see what it can do to an already superb powerplant. It may even be better than the extremely good S58 engine in the new BMW X3 M and upcoming M3.
In these new spy photos, we see what seems like a regular BMW 3 Series, just with some camouflage on it at first. Then, we can see that it has what look like classic ALPINA wheels, only finished black, and quad exhaust pipes at the back. The upcoming BMW M3 will have quad pipes as well but we can tell this is an ALPINA by the way the pipes stick out of holes in the bumper, which is a signature ALPINA look.
When it debuts, the ALPINA B3 will likely be every bit as fast as the future M3 in a straight line but more relaxed, more luxurious and more livable everyday. A lot of enthusiasts actually prefer ALPINAs to M cars for that very reason. We can’t wait to see it in person. If only it would come to North America.
[Source: Motor1]
