Alpina releases more details for B6 GT3 ahead of Geneva Motor Show

BMW-tuners extraordinaire Alpina has decided to return to motorsports after a 20 year absence. The comeback will be staged in the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship - but the best part - the company will be selling exact copies of their race cars to individuals, collectors and other teams.

Alpina's racing history is a long and lauded one, despite the 20-year lay off. Drivers like Hans Stuck, Jacky Ickx and Niki Lauda all drove for Alpina at one point, each winning a European Touring Car championship for the company. Still, the Alpina race team is in its infancy, starting over again from scratch. The entire team has to be chosen - from project manager to race engineer to mechanic, the company is looking for talented people to help it mount its comeback.

The company’s new B6 GT3 race car is scheduled to make its world debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. It will feature a 4.4L V8 churning out 530hp (395kW) and 535ft-lb (725Nm) of torque.

For more of Alpina's consumer-level work, check out our stories on the B6 S coupe and cabrio - which share at the least, corporate DNA and some design elements with the upcoming race car, the D3 Biturbo, and the B7 7-series based super-limo.