RE: Latest Alpina B3 Biturbo spy shots

[eftiem64]

Love Alpinas. Hope to own one, one day. The Touring would be my choice.

Trouble is, you can get a low mileage M5 Comp for what these cost new!

[DevonPaul]

E65Ross said:

I don't understand the whole "M car too obvious....get an Alpina thing". It's not as if they don't have 4 exhausts, oh, and big wheels and silly decals too. I think they're less understated than the M cars.

They are understated, they're one of the few BMWs that come without an //M badge.

Paul

[Wills2]

E65Ross said:

I don't understand the whole "M car too obvious....get an Alpina thing". It's not as if they don't have 4 exhausts, oh, and big wheels and silly decals too. I think they're less understated than the M cars.

Not really.

[E65Ross]

Wills2 said:

E65Ross said:

I don't understand the whole "M car too obvious....get an Alpina thing". It's not as if they don't have 4 exhausts, oh, and big wheels and silly decals too. I think they're less understated than the M cars.

Not really.

Which Alpina is that? Is it the M3/4 rival? Or the 330d rival?

[NewUsername]

E65Ross said:

Wills2 said:

E65Ross said:

I don't understand the whole "M car too obvious....get an Alpina thing". It's not as if they don't have 4 exhausts, oh, and big wheels and silly decals too. I think they're less understated than the M cars.

Not really.

Which Alpina is that? Is it the M3/4 rival? Or the 330d rival?

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/comparison-bmw-m3-versus-alpina-d3

looks like the m rival , i'm not sure where youre going as the M's these days have much more aggressive bumpers, wings, body than the alpina's

granted the Alpinas have a fair bit of graphics but you dont have to spec them ;-)

[E65Ross]

NewUsername said:

E65Ross said:

Wills2 said:

E65Ross said:

I don't understand the whole "M car too obvious....get an Alpina thing". It's not as if they don't have 4 exhausts, oh, and big wheels and silly decals too. I think they're less understated than the M cars.

Not really.

Which Alpina is that? Is it the M3/4 rival? Or the 330d rival?

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/comparison-bmw-m3-versus-alpina-d3

looks like the m rival , i'm not sure where youre going as the M's these days have much more aggressive bumpers, wings, body than the alpina's

granted the Alpinas have a fair bit of graphics but you dont have to spec them ;-)

That's the D3, the proper M3 rival is the B3.

[BSSBMW]

The F3x B3 and the D3 which are based on the SE look pretty much identical and are definitely more understated than a pumped up M car.

[Kolbenkopp]

Hohum.... I'm not sure about the whole exercise any more tbh. Recently had the pleasure of driving a couple thousand km over a week in a B58+ZF8 car (M240i). It's all very impressive, but all things considered not that spectacular. Oodles of accessible torque, not much noise, noticeable torque converter slushiness, very linear, distinct lag, heavy car feeling heavy (which wiill be worse in a 3 series based product, Alpina magic or not). The most impressive bit was actually balance / suspension (had the adaptive bits) which I expected to be much worse over worn alpine roads.

The sad truth is IMO it feels like they are really emulating a powerful electrical car as best as possible.

[HM-2]

Kolbenkopp said:

distinct lag

I remain convinced that people who claim there's "distinct lag" on the B58 don't understand what "lag" actually is.
It's a 3,000cc engine with a tiny turbo and makes peak torque from 2500RPM.

[JD]

E65Ross said:

That's the D3, the proper M3 rival is the B3.

And one looks like a factory car, and one looks like a chavved up three series.

Along with the almost standard B3 xxx or D3 xxx plate.

Question, would you rather get stuck in a lift with an Alpina owner, or Impreza wrx owner?

[Plate spinner]

Are these classed as a BMW and Alpina is a spec (as in Merc AMG) or is Alpina still classed as the manufacturer?

Just curious really.

[Tonk68]

Alpina is classed as a manufacturer now producing 1,700 cars a year, they come with the BMW vin number scored out and an Alpina one added the last three numbers of this corresponds to the build number plaque in the car

[E65Ross]

JD said:

E65Ross said:

That's the D3, the proper M3 rival is the B3.

And one looks like a factory car, and one looks like a chavved up three series.

Along with the almost standard B3 xxx or D3 xxx plate.

Question, would you rather get stuck in a lift with an Alpina owner, or Impreza wrx owner?

I'd say the Alpina looks just as tarted up as an M car, with the 4 exhausts and boot lip spoiler etc.

[Burnham]

E65Ross said:

JD said:

E65Ross said:

That's the D3, the proper M3 rival is the B3.

And one looks like a factory car, and one looks like a chavved up three series.

Along with the almost standard B3 xxx or D3 xxx plate.

Question, would you rather get stuck in a lift with an Alpina owner, or Impreza wrx owner?

I'd say the Alpina looks just as tarted up as an M car, with the 4 exhausts and boot lip spoiler etc.

I guess customers don't want it looking like a standard 320 either, so its clearly hard to strike a balance that suits everyone.

[okenemem]

cant wait

[Kolbenkopp]

HM-2 said:

I remain convinced that people who claim there's "distinct lag" on the B58 don't understand what "lag" actually is.
It's a 3,000cc engine with a tiny turbo and makes peak torque from 2500RPM.

Yup, sorry that was badly worded. It's not the engine lagging, but the drive train as such. IMO there's a huge delay between right foot input and anything happening RE acceleration. The ZF8 is nice, the calibration as good as it gets with BMW, but it's still a slush box. Combined with the engine mapping, feels to me one either gets Jackyll or Hyde, depending on torque requested via pedal. IMVHO the gear box works much better with their diesels.

Perhaps the more beefy Alpina petrol can emulate... But IMO the B58 needs a manual.

[HM-2]

Kolbenkopp said:

IMO there's a huge delay between right foot input and anything happening RE acceleration.

In Eco and Comfort I definitely do get the odd moment where the ZF8 can be a bit dimwitted, especially when approaching roundabouts or junctions. And it can be a bit overzealous in kickdown from 8th at low load (like on the motorway), particularly in Eco Pro. But in Sport it's generally excellent (on par with the VW DSG in spirited driving and much better than the double-clutch box in the pre-FL A45 AMG which is dreadful) and manual mode is great- unless I'm on a motorway slog I only ever drive my M140i in manual mode.

Edited by HM-2 on Thursday 15th August 10:34

[Slippydiff]

Oily76 said:

E65Ross said:

I don't understand the whole "M car too obvious....get an Alpina thing". It's not as if they don't have 4 exhausts, oh, and big wheels and silly decals too. I think they're less understated than the M cars.

Most on the road don't have the decals, and they don't have the swollen arches and bonnet bulges of the M Cars, or the racecar seats. Sure they look shiny and posh, but not like performance cars (4 exhausts excepted).

Visuals aside, the Alpina exhausts aren’t shouty like the MPower versions.

[Wills2]

E65Ross said:

Wills2 said:

E65Ross said:

I don't understand the whole "M car too obvious....get an Alpina thing". It's not as if they don't have 4 exhausts, oh, and big wheels and silly decals too. I think they're less understated than the M cars.

Not really.

Which Alpina is that? Is it the M3/4 rival? Or the 330d rival?

Wouldn't make any difference the D3 looks identical to the B3, as you can see it would pass for a 318d se.

[ZX10R NIN]

My OH love her D3 it's a peach of a car, I'm sure this new B3 will be even better.