e34 M5 succesor..... - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

Stevie · 12th April 2006, 23:59

BMW may have stopped building the bloody fast, 4 door, well handling, stealty executive express, Alpina filled the gap.

I finally had a decent run in an Alpina B3S saloon tonight, and it's all I hoped it would be and more! Very comfortable, but extremely composed and chuckable at the flick of a wrist. Torque from low down (as in 2k low!), gaining power all across a VERY wide rev-band to a gruff and screaming top end. None of the muted BMW small-six feeling, just a big gruffy raw six.

The biggest compliment I can give this car:

They should have named it 2003 Alpina e28 M5!!!!

It took my by surprise in doing EVERYthing well, and being the superb stealth all-rounder the real M5's used to be. From e34-fanatic standpoint: this is the succesor!

Sebring NL · 13th April 2006, 00:15

Yup, the most serious four-door 3 series ever made!

Does it come in Sebring Grey too?

Think the pics show the 2004 model though, think 03 Alpina E46;s still had the different wings and headlights..Which I prefer though!

Stevie · 13th April 2006, 00:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebring NL

Think the pics show the 2004 model though, think 03 Alpina E46;s still had the different wings and headlights..

B3 had old nose B3S had new nose! Only B3 with new nose is the Allrad still produced today.

Sebring NL · 13th April 2006, 00:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevie

B3 had old nose B3S had new nose! Only B3 with new nose is the Allrad still produced today.

shame, old nose looks more agressive IMO... Still a very nice car to make up for all the electronically short-leashed ( and short-leased!!!) crap we get these days!

Stevie · 13th April 2006, 02:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sebring NL

shame, old nose looks more agressive IMO... Still a very nice car to make up for all the electronically short-leashed ( and short-leased!!!) crap we get these days!

Well, the B3S has all the electronic toys in there, but will allow some slide before intervention. DSC cuts in harshly, but it's correcting the tail, so plenty of fun when turning it off!!!

Jahangeer · 13th April 2006, 11:53

Stevie

Did you ever get a chance to ride/drive the Alpinas B8? Now thats what I call torquey!
A little bit quiet, apart from right at the end of the revs - a very quick machine on all accounts!!

Alan Archer · 13th April 2006, 14:41

So what sort of straight line performance do you credit a B3 with ?

I ran against a B3 3.2 switchtronic a few years ago
(driving my Lancia Thema 16v Turbo..) so I rated that vehicle as sub 3.8 E34
perfomance...

Do you have figures for the B3"S" Stevie ??

Looks like a nice package.

Alan.

Stevie · 13th April 2006, 14:43

No I haven't. And I won't till I have spare funds to buy one as I'll undoubtedly fall madly in love with one....... It'll still be in the V8 league though, and I didn't expect the 3.4 to stand up staight in the big-six league. Always thought it would be a zingy small six like e36/e46 M3's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahangeer

Stevie

Did you ever get a chance to ride/drive the Alpinas B8? Now thats what I call torquey!
A little bit quiet, apart from right at the end of the revs - a very quick machine on all accounts!!

Stevie · 13th April 2006, 14:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Archer

So what sort of straight line performance do you credit a B3 with ?

Do you have figures for the B3"S" Stevie ??

B3S

305PS @ 6300
362NM @ 4800
1510 kg.
0-100km/h: 5.7s
0-169km/h: 11.8s
0-200km/h: 18.7s
Vmax 270km/h

3.8

340PS @ 6900
400NM @ 4750
1711 kg.
0-100km/h: 5.7s
0-160km/h: 13.0s
0-200km/h: 21.1s
250km/h LTD.

figures from:

http://www.alpina-automobiles.com/pd...est&tuning.pdf and http://www.e34.de/e34/tests/Test-m5-4.jpg

I'd be very careful taking on a B3S in a 3.8. Might just get yr a*s handed to you. And it felt just as capable as the numbers suggest!

Alan Archer · 13th April 2006, 20:38

Strongly suspect the version I had a go at was around 245-265PS,
as I pushed him all the way from 100km/h to 240km/h.

Like I say it was a while back, infact thinking about it, it was an E36 saloon.
So probably a B3 3.0....

The way cars grow, an E46 is closer to an E34 than much else,
especially with a straight six up front.