BMW's M Division may not have launched an M4 Gran Coupe, but you can now get something quite close to it: the new B4 GT. Alpina has just introduced this model alongside the refreshed B3 GT in Sedan and Touring guises, and they are some of the best-looking cars in their segment.
First, let's talk about the new Alpina B4 GT Gran Coupe. This model has received some serious chassis work, with the company mentioning the reinforced mounts on the front axle and revised active dynamic damping control. The car also has a tweaked variable sports steering and comes with an electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential and rear-biased all-wheel drive.
Like the latest B3 GT, the B4 GT has a stiffer connection between the rear axle, a feature that the updated BMW 3 Series also gets. Alpina's engineers worked their magic on the reinforcement struts at the front and gave the B3 GT a larger rear stabilizer. A new configuration for the shock absorbers is part of the makeover for improved driving dynamics, albeit with an emphasis on comfort.
Visually, Alpina's latest models have new canards and splitter, a redesigned rear diffuser, and several other things. They ride on 20-inch alloys with the typical multi-spoke design and GT branding, and they can be complemented with the exclusive Blue and Green paintworks, in addition to Brewster Green, Imola Red, or Fashion Gray.
Photo: Alpina
Oro Tecnico details are visible inside and out, and this is the color chosen for the stitching of the steering wheel. Alpina gave the new B3 GT and B4 GT Lavalina leather upholstery, paddle shifters made of anodized aluminum, black leather edging on the floor mats and trunk mat, GT lettering on the door sills, and a production number plaque on the center console.
Power comes from the 3.0L straight-six with twin turbocharging, which produces 521 hp (529 ps/389 kW) at 6,250-6,500 rpm and 538 pound-foot (730 Nm) of torque at 2,500-4,500 rpm. That's just two horsepower less than the latest M3 Competition xDrive, yet the Alpinas are 59 lb-ft (80 Nm) torquier. The B3 GT Sedan and Touring take 3.4 and 3.5 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 kph), respectively, and the B4 GT is as fast as the latter.
Alpina says the latest B3 and B4 GT are two-tenths of a second faster than their predecessors to sixty-two miles an hour. The top speed has increased by two mph (3 kph) in the B3 GT Sedan and Touring to 191 mph and 190 mph (308-305 kph), respectively, and the B4 GT can top out at 190 mph (305 kph), a 2.5 mph (4 kph) improvement.
Alpina has started taking orders for these models. The 2024 B3 GT starts at €101,700 (equal to $110,707) in Germany. The B3 GT Touring has an RRP of €102,900 ($112,013), and the B4 GT Gran Coupe kicks off at €105,100 ($114,408). By comparison, a base M3 will set you back at least €94,200 ($102,542) in its home market, €100,400 ($109,291) for the M3 Competition, and €105,300 ($114,625) for the M3 Competition xDrive.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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