Autoblog

Alpina B3 Bi-Turbo offers Europeans a pre-M3 performance 3er

Seyth Miersma — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, BMW, Luxury

Anyone that's spent some time behind the wheel of the Alpina B7 probably knows enough to understand what Americans are missing with this, newly launched Alpina B3 Bi-Turbo. We've got no lack of M models to choose from, it's true, but the Alpina touch offers a completely different driving character, with almost as much performance. A pity then that Alpina has no plans that we've heard of to bring this one across the pond.

Filling the gap between the current 3 Series offerings and the outgoing M3 (we're not likely to even see the new M3 and M4 until September's Frankfurt show, nor be able to buy one until after that), the B3 Bi-Turbo brings serious performance to the F30 3er. As the name indicates, two turbochargers are used to force-feed BMW's 3.0-liter inline-six engine, for a total output of 410 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. That power offers a big jump from even the BMW 335i sedan, and will push the B3 to 62 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 190 miles per hour. Alpina's own sport suspension underpins the thing, while the power is modulated by way of a eight-speed automatic transmission.

The new B3 will be easily recognizable thanks to its "Classic" 20-inch, 20-spoke Alpina wheels, and a rather subtle, aero-enhancing body kit. No pricing has yet been announced, but you will find a host of additional information in the attached Alpina press release below.

Continue reading Alpina B3 Bi-Turbo offers Europeans a pre-M3 performance 3er

Alpina B3 Bi-Turbo offers Europeans a pre-M3 performance 3er originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVO "2012 Car of the Year: The Track Battles" is a sports car salmagundi

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Videos, BMW, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Scion, Toyota, Luxury, MISC, McLaren

EVO has come out with another gotta-watch-it video, throwing its 2012 Car of the Year contestants around the UK's 1.5-mile Blyton Park track. It's actually a 15-minute teaser for the full-length DVD detailing the magazine's Car of the Year selection, but the tease is worth every ~~penny~~ free second.

Tiff Needell and sports car racer Richard Meaden handle the wheel duties, the two driving five pairs of sports cars: Lotus Exige S vs. Porsche Boxster S, Morgan Three-Wheeler vs. Toyota GT86, BMW M135i vs. Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series vs. Alpina B3 GT3, the marquee event pits the McLaren MP4-12C vs. the Pagani Huayra. After a head-to-head lap with commentary during drifts, Meaden takes each car out to set a representative lap time.

You'll find the verdicts, lots of tire smoke, and lines like "Anything you can do sideways I can do sideways" in the video below.

Continue reading EVO "2012 Car of the Year: The Track Battles" is a sports car salmagundi

EVO "2012 Car of the Year: The Track Battles" is a sports car salmagundi originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Alpina B3 snapped while testing in Germany

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, BMW, Luxury

No, this is not the next BMW M3. But it's still something pretty special. What you're looking at here is the Alpina B3, a hotter version of the new F30 3 Series that will be done in a similar fashion to the B5, B6 and B7 models that we've long drooled over.

Signature Alpina changes like the revised lower front fascia, rear lip spoiler and modified exhaust are clearly evident on this prototype, as are newly designed wheels. No, they aren't the lovely 20-spoke Alpina wheels found on all the other models, but who knows, things could change before the car goes into production. What's more, who knows if the 3 Series body can even handle 21-inch rollers.

Details? None right now. We can probably assume that the Alpina B3 will use a boosted version of the turbocharged 3.0-liter six found in the 335i, but until the car officially debuts later this year (set to launch in early 2013), your guess is as good as ours.

BMW Alpina B3 snapped while testing in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva Motor Show: Alpina B3 brings the twist

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 18:32:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Sedan, Geneva Motor Show, BMW

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]

Continue reading Geneva Motor Show: Alpina B3 brings the twist

Geneva Motor Show: Alpina B3 brings the twist originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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