ALPINA B3 3,2(e-36)

When BMW introduced the M3 Evo in late 1995, Alpina had to do something with their B3 3,0 because the M3 now had 321 bhp against the B3´s 250. So in April 1996 this car went in production, the B3 3,2 based on the BMW 328i. The production ended in 1999 and the last model available was the convertible with Switch-Tronic gearbox.

Engine/Gearbox

The engine is based on BMW´s 2,8 litre six-cylinder which produce 193 bhp. That´s only 1 bhp, at least on paper, more than the old 2,5 litre unit but the torque has increased a lot, from 240 Nm to 280. Alpina has increased the displacement to 3,2 litre, fitted Mahle lightweight pistons, modified the combustion chambers, reprogrammed the engine management-system, made by Siemens, and fitted a new exhaust system. Those are the most important changes that make the Alpina engine produce 265 bhp. The torque is up to 330 Nm. The gearbox is made of Getrag and has 6-speeds. But the Switch-Tronic gearbox is also available as an option.

Suspension/Brakes/Wheels

Alpina is famous for their ability to make a car handle like sportscar and still have the fine ride of a standard BMW. And the B3 3,2 is no exception. At front Alpina have fitted Bilstein gas-pressure spring units and a new stabilizer. At rear they have fitted Bilstein gas-pressure shocks, new springs and a new stabilizer. The brakes are uprated with bigger discs, ventilated at front, with floating callipers. The B3 rides on Michelin tires, as always, which are 235 mm wide at front and 265 mm wide at rear. The alloys are 17in high.

Interior/Exterior

The interior changes include a hand-sewn leather-rimmed steering wheel, a shift-knob made of wood, luxury wood on the gearshift console, Alpina upholstery, anthracite cloth with asymmetric blue/green stripes, sport seats and new instruments, blue with red needles. The exterior changes are not many, a new front spoiler, the wheels and the no-cost option Alpina deco-set in gold or silver. There is also an optional rear spoiler.

Performance

Even though the B3 is not as powerful as the M3, it is nearly as fast. Alpina claims a 0-100 km/h time of 5,9 seconds and a top speed of over 260 km/h. BMW claims 5,5 seconds for the M3 to 100 km/h and the top speed is limited to 250 km/h. In Auto Motor und Sport´s test the B3 accelerated from 0-100 km/h in 5,9 seconds, 6,5 for the Switch-Tronic, 0-160 km/h in 13,9 and 0-200 in 23,2 seconds.

Pictures