Is BMW's exclusive Alpina performance pinnacle a good fit for Australia?
PETROL-HEADS rejoice. We may be about to get yet another line of go-faster European prestige models in Australia.
GoAuto has recently learned that longstanding performance car purveyor BMW has applied for Australian Design Rule (ADR) accreditation to sell one new model from factory-backed tuner Alpina.
If successful, the Bavarian car-maker could be offering a new hot coupe model alongside its existing driver-focused range in a showroom near you.
The model in question is the 4 Series-based B4 Biturbo coupe which starts life as the 3.0-litre turbocharged BMW 435i, but then Alpina gets started with a transformation process that modifies such a significant amount of kit that the finished product is christened with a new vehicle identification number.
With special turbochargers, a European-fabricated exhaust system and a software remap, the B4 pumps out 301kW, which is just 16kW short of the mighty BMW M4, but with 600Nm of torque on tap, the B4 has 50Nm more than the M-badged car.
Unsurprisingly then, the B4 is quick, taking just 4.2 seconds to get from standstill to 100km/h — that’s just one tenth of a second off the M4’s sprint time.
Each Alpina, regardless of its donor model, is immediately recognisable by the company’s trademark 20-spoke alloy wheels, which haven't dramatically changed in nearly 50 years.
In the interest of clean, simple design, the alloy hoops do not have a conventional inflation valve in the rim, but a top up point hidden behind the centre cap which sends air to the tyre via a hollow spoke. Have you ever heard of such fanatical attention on to detail?
Like every Alpina to date, the bodywork is available decorated with the company’s conspicuous pinstriped gold or silver Deco stripes, while interiors also get a significant overhaul with the classic Alpina blue and green signature scheme throughout.
The B4 Biturbo is no different, sporting the Alpina decals, monstrous wheels and is available in the company’s patented Alpina Blue metallic hue.
Underneath, its chassis has been stripped out and uprated with unique dampers, springs and steering gear, and the wheels. Oh those wheels!
Where the M4 employs a choice of six-speed manual gearbox or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the B4 comes with a tweaked version of the standard 435i’s eight-speed ZF torque converter automatic.
BMW’s M division offers a range of savage track-focused cars, but Alpina takes the approach of just a little more attention to comfort, day-to-day usability and exclusivity, and that’s exactly why the two horsepower hungry lines could potentially sit very nicely together in Australia.
If the B4 does arrive Down Under it will pair up with its M4 stablemate in a double-tap assault on the freshly unveiled Mercedes-Benz C63 Coupe, which historically has a very strong following in Australia.
But more excitingly, it may pave the way for the full Alpina line-up which offers everything from the 3 Series-based B3 and D3, 5 Series-derived B5 and D5, a warmed-up version of the 6 Series coupe, convertible and Gran Coupe, as well as a XD3 which starts off as a diesel X3 SUV.
Race-car and fast road-car tuners will be familiar with the versatile twin Weber carburettor, and while the classic carbie is very good at boosting power, it was also instrumental in forging the Alpina reputation.
In combination with its own cylinder head design, the carburettor produced surprising results for early 1960s Alpina-tuned cars, so much so that when the company was officially founded, the carb was immortalised in its company crest.
Even though carburation has long been superseded by high-pressure direct fuel injection or common rail injection in the case of its latest diesel models, the company’s humble beginnings are still celebrated in the crankshaft and carburettor badge.
Its first model was based on the original E21 3 Series and showed that a company that used to make typewriters could turn its hand to serious sports sedan tuning, and before long it had fettled everything in the BMW stable from Z8 to 850CSi.
Does the thought of a new range of even more exclusive BMWs excite you as much as it does this author? Check out DanGoAuto’s garage for proof.
Daniel Gardner GoAuto.com.au
Protect your BMW. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.
