Alpina B3 Touring

[balancerider 758]

Given that BMW won't make an M3 Touring (but seems happy to build a worse riding and less practical SUV version, and thinks that wagon buyers will cross shop to an SUV), I think my next (and likely last non-electric) car will be one of these - in Alpina blue.

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/frankfurt-motor-show/alpinas-455bhp-b3-touring-m3-wagon-bmw-wont-make

[Jacko 2156]

That is porn. 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

Very interesting that it gets the S58 engine from M Division, rather than a hotted up version of the M340i engine, the 3 Series wagon platform. Looking at how they have developed the power delivery of the engine it looks like Alpina are sticking with their tried-and-tested "undersatated Autobahn Stormer" approach, very cool.

If only Alpina would so some proper crash testing, so they can be complied in NZ.

And if only M Gmbh would build that M3 Wagon (althought HellBM do a pretty excellent job locally!).

[balancerider 758]

Is the S58 confirmed @E30 325i Rag-Top? I wondered if they might have bolted an extra turbo on the B58 in their usual way. It's an easy sell over the M340i if it indeed has an S58. Also interesting that this car is running the M-sport body kit, previous generations have had the standard / sport line body.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

Some reports have specifically mentioned the S58 and talk about the differences in power delivery of the same engine in X3M / X4M. Others just talk about a "twin-turbo" motor. Taking a massive leap of faith that the press report has it's facts right for a change and it does have the M engine. It would need something extra special to justify the GBP60k+ price tag for a 3 Series.

Re-engineering the exhaust manifolds and associated plumbing of the M340i engine to incorporate a second turbo would also be a very expensive exercise for a relatively small volume car, which would back up the reports of the S58 being in there.

The kit is apparently specific to the Alpina, so it is probably the M-Sport kit with bits of it modified / added over the BMW version.

[balancerider 758]

Price appears to be comparable to Audi RS4 / a bit cheaper than the C63 estate, it doesn't have the 'average punter' appeal of those two but some of us like that. 

Hope you're right about the S58...

[M3AN 4016]

I didn't think BMW made M engines available to their "partner" aftermarket companies? Perhaps that's changed or I'm altogether wrong.

It was my understanding that the only way to get a "hotter" M was to buy one retail then mod it. Which makes perfect sense to me. Who would buy an ///Mx knowing that Alpina (or any other "official partner") will rapidly release an even more powerful model?

[NZ BMW 368]

The article suggests to me that Alpina will tune a non-M engine to get the desired result, or am I misreading something? 

[qube 3570]

maybe the article has been edited but it also looks to me like its just the standard B58 engine, no mention of the S58 anywhere I can see

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

“BMWs latest 6-cylinder” “in X3M version”, etc. No specific S58 mention in this article but B58 is not the latest and isn’t in the X3M.

Other articles specifically mention S58 engine and power / torque figures for that. I have seen nothing official as it’s Alpina doesn’t come to NZ, so can’t confirm 100%

@M3AN the official M version of the S58 puts out more power from factory than this Alpina version, but less torque.

[325_driver 422]

Hate to fix up the paint job on that 3 stage pearl.

I like the colour of those calipers!

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

An AU specific press release on the B3, again the S58 is specifically mentioned in the text on this one, and referred to as BMW M's latest engine - which it is.

[lord_jagganath 421]

On 9/18/2019 at 10:17 AM, E30 325i Rag-Top said:

If only Alpina would so some proper crash testing, so they can be complied in NZ.

Can they be complied as a "factory modified" BMW? 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

That's the issue, as soon as the car is modified from the form of the standard vehicle that has been tested by BMW all the factory approvals and homologation go out the window.

Things may have (surely must have...) from the days when a loophole was used for the cars to be on the road in the EU, with nothing "official" to cover the modifications.

Could possibly be complied as a Used Import, or LVV type situation, but again, how can you prove the crash testing / frontal impact standard if the car has not been tested for that?

[balancerider 758]

Must be one of the few brands where regulations allow it to be sold in Australia but not (new) in NZ...

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

Not so sure about that, much cheaper to get ADR approval versus EU standards, so more viable in a larger market like Australia.

TRD Aurion and HiLux projects I worked on were built and sold in Aussie but not complied for NZ.

It is worth pointing out that whilst NZ and Aussie are neighbours and both have RHD vehicles the regulations and compliance standards for the two countries are very different.

[balancerider 758]

Not specifically an Alpina issue but notice that the first few NZ G21's are still EU5 exhaust emission standards (whereas the UK ones are now EU-6D) - not doing much for dirty diesel reputation here, I know there's no imperative to progress this but still disappointing IMHO

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

Not sure where you are looking but only the 320d xDrive is EU5, and I think it is still running SCR so is EU5+. 

Both the 330d xDrive and M340i XDrive are  EU6.

 

[balancerider 758]

looking at the VIN decodes for the first few 320d's to arrive here (dealer demos admittedly).