An Alpina alternative to the BMW F30 3 Series
It’s becoming almost a usual event to see people being a little harsh on the F30 BMW 3 Series lately. If you fear their mocking or just aren’t interested in the new car, why not have a look at what alternatives are on hand.
One of the finest such offerings comes from traditional BMW tuner, Alpina, and it focuses on the previous generation of the 3 Series, the E92.
Unveiled at the recently ended 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, the Alpina B3 GT3, as the model is called, is far from anything as discrete and understated as we imagine a BMW being.
Boasting a very loud exterior we find a paint coating of candy green teamed with silver and blue striping on the side and a usual (for a street racer) set of decals on the doors. I will admit, not to my liking in terms of design.
It’s also not to my liking in being a show off when it doesn’t really have the bite to match its bark. The Alpina B3 GT3 is powered by BMW’s infamous 3.0 liter twin-turbo straight six engine.
This powerplant has seen life in plenty of other Alpina creations only here, thanks to a new exhaust from Akrapovic it gains 8 horsepower.
The total power now goes up to 408 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. Certainly this is a considerable boost over any regular E93 3 Series, but it’s still not as powerful as the M3.
Speaking of which, you don’t see the M3 running around with colors that flashy, not even in racing liveries.
For that reason, teamed with how the Alpina B3 GT3 is offered as an alternative to the new 3 Series I’d say it’s not worth it. Alpina did much better in coming up with the B6 in Tokyo.
It may be a racer for the road, but it’s not good enough to win me over.