Geneva Motor Show: Alpina B3 brings the twist
Click the image for our gallery.
BMW's foray into turbocharging, in the form of the 335i, has been met with tremendous enthusiasm from both journos and consumers alike. But as any pistonhead knows, when a vehicle gets a turbo bolted on at the factory, invariably, there's more performance to be had. Vishnu has already upped the ante with their Procede ECU upgrade, which brings horsepower into the 360-380 realm, along with a substantial increase in torque. Coupled with their soon-to-be-released exhaust system, the sky is quickly becoming the limit.
For those that are looking for a thoroughly reworked system that can be bought outright, Alpina released its B3 Biturbo at the Geneva Motor Show that combines both performance and aesthetic enhancements in one complete package.
The result of Alpina's diligence under the hood (boost pressure is up to 16 psi) and the replacement of the stock exhaust, is 360 HP between 5,500 and 6,000 RPM and 368 lb.-ft. of torque available from 3,800 to 5,000 RPM. The tweaked engine routes power to the ZF six-speed automatic gearbox -- complete with SWITCH-TRONIC manumatic mode – that allows the B3 to breach the 62 MPH mark in just under five seconds.
[Source: Alpina]
The B3 wouldn't be an Alpina if there weren't a few other additions to enhance the driving experience, so the tuner replaced the steering wheel, switched out the gauges with blue clusters and added an oil temperature gauge. The stock Bimmer rolling stock was ditched in favor of 18-inch "Classic" wheels wrapped in Michelin tires (225/40 ZR18 in front, 255/25 ZR18 in the rear) or 19-inch rollers in either "Dynamic" or "Classic" styles.
Pricing wasn't announced at the show, nor was any information released about importation into the U.S. When we asked one of the representatives at the stand about plans for export to the States, their response was simply, "Maybe" coupled with a grin.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ellerton 6:42PM (3/09/2007)
... and it's an automatic.
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bgdc 8:23PM (3/09/2007)
Weak. The vishnu gets around 430 ft-lbs at the crank (391 at the wheels) and 370 hp at the crank (333 hp at the wheels).
http://bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=99953&d=1173120032
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aaron 8:26PM (3/09/2007)
I can taste a new M3 sedan right now...
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SOhp101 8:36PM (3/09/2007)
God, just shut up about the vishnu already. That's all I hear about whenever a 3 series/M3 post comes up now.
Alpina is not only about the increase in engine performance but also the major upgrade in luxury amenities within. If performance is the only thing you're looking for, go buy an EVO.
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Tina Silva 10:45PM (3/09/2007)
WOW! Beautiful car!!
Tina Silva
http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?blog.pimentels-photography.com
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brutal 11:43PM (3/09/2007)
"foray" implies initial attempt.
The 335i is hardly BMW's initial attempt at turbo charging.
turbo diesels, turbo 7 series, turbo 2002, etc. etc. etc.
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bgdc 2:31AM (3/10/2007)
SOhp101 - sorry but alpina offers nothing that's worth their extreme asking price. New rims? New gauges? Yeah, that makes it all worthwhile. you pay extra for those alpina bits and they don't make a lick of difference beyond the engine mods. And their engine mods aren't impressive.
Some of us bought our BMWs to drive them hard. We're looking for fun. Alpina offers a steep price tag and very little in the way of useful improvements.
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Haudi 10:58AM (3/10/2007)
This has to be the most beautiful colors I have ever seen on a car. Why couldn't Honda have painted my car this color?
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