BMW's high-performance sub-brand Alpina has announced the pricing details for their updated B3 sedan and wagon, along with the B4 four-door coupe, ahead of their release in Australia. The 'GT' label is new for these models, but Alpina previously used it last year for the final editions of the older B5, which was based on the 5-Series. However, in this case, the B3 and B4 GT are regular production models from Alpina, featuring notable improvements over the previous B3 and B4 versions.
The updated chassis for the B3 includes a larger rear anti-roll bar and modified shocks. For the B4, there are new shocks, reinforced front suspension mounts, and an updated steering and electronically-controlled rear limited-slip differential. Additionally, all models now come equipped with small motorsport-style canards and a front splitter, a new glossy black rear diffuser, and black tailpipes. The B4 also gets the updated headlights from the facelifted M4 and the 3D rear lights first seen on the M4 CSL. The B3 now features the 20-inch forged wheels that were previously exclusive to the B4.
A significant upgrade is the S58 twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine, which now produces 34 more horsepower than the standard B3 and B4, bringing it to a total of 522 hp. Interestingly, with BMW now owning Alpina, it seems intentional that BMW's own high-performance 3- and 4-Series cars, the M3 and M4, offer 523 hp in their top-performing versions, just 1 hp more than the Alpina models. However, the Alpina cars have an advantage in torque, delivering 730 Nm compared to the BMWs' 650 Nm.
These enhancements make the new all-wheel-drive GT models 0.2 seconds faster to reach 100 km/h compared to the previous versions. The B3 GT sedan now achieves this in 3.4 seconds, which is a tenth of a second quicker than the M3 Competition xDrive. The B3 GT wagon and B4 GT Gran Coupe both take 3.5 seconds to reach the same speed. If you keep accelerating, the new models further outpace their predecessors, gaining up to a full second by the time they hit 200 km/h, and they also gain a few more mph at the top speed. The B3 GT sedan leads with a top speed of 308 km/h, while the other two reach 305 km/h.
Pricing for the 2024 models starts at $181,900 for the B3 GT Sedan, $184,900 for the B3 GT Touring, and $189,900 for the B4 GT Gran Coupe. These prices are significantly higher than the previous models, by $21,910, $22,000, and $25,000 respectively. For comparison, the 2024 M3 Competition xDrive Sedan and Touring are priced at $181,500 and $183,500, respectively.