BMW is readying a new generation of the M3 but overseas buyers will be able to choose an alternative in the form of the new B3 from semi-official BMW tuner Alpina. The car was unveiled in its Touring wagon body style on Tuesday at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. A sedan is also on the pipeline.
The stock 3-Series Sports Wagon, which BMW doesn't offer in the United States, is already quite the looker but Alpina has managed to turn the car into an even more handsome brute with unique fascias front and rear, quad-exhaust tips, and the company's signature multi-spoke wheels. A 19-inch set is standard but the 20-inch set with a 20-spoke design as shown here is available.
Under the hood is the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 normally found in the M3 and M4. Here it's tuned to deliver 462 horsepower and a massive 516 pound-feet of torque. With such numbers, owners can expect 0-60 mph acceleration approaching 4.0 seconds and a top speed in excess of 186 mph.
Alpina worked with ZF, the manufacturer of the 3-Series' 8-speed automatic transmission, to ensure the B3 has faster response and quicker shift times. Alpina also added the 3-Series' all-wheel-drive system to ensure maximum traction.
2020 BMW Alpina B3 Touring
The B3 is currently available to order and due to start deliveries in mid-2020. While the car is unlikely to reach the U.S., other Alpina models are sold here. The latest to arrive is the B7 based on the 7-Series, and an Alpina-enhanced version of the BMW X7 should join it in the not too distant future.
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