The BMW M3 Touring is shaping up to be one of the automaker’s most eagerly anticipated performance models for quite some time but it will no doubt continue to cause controversy with its large kidney grilles. Fortunately, Alpina is already working on an updated performance version of the 3-Series Touring and it won’t look quite as brash.
Spied here for the first time in facelift
guise, the Alpina B3 Touring is expected to feature the same powertrain as the
facelifted B3 sedan that’s been in development for quite some time. The
outgoing B3 uses a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six with 462 hp and 700 Nm of torque. Those figures are impressive, although the car does
have 41 hp less than the current M3 Competition but a 37 lb-ft torque
advantage. We wouldn’t be shocked if Alpina increased horsepower closer to the
500 mark.
For the most part, the exterior design of
the B3 Touring will be relatively unassuming, although the automaker has gone
to the trouble of covering the front and rear fascias of this dark green
prototype with black and white camouflage. Like all other Alpina models, the
front and rear bumpers of the B3 Touring will be different than regular
3-Series models but not quite as aggressive or as overt as those from BMW’s M
division.
One aspect of this prototype that really
catches the eye is the tightly-spoked wheels that will help to further
differentiate the model from a regular BMW. While not visible on this
prototype, the finished car will have quad tailpipes just like the B3 sedan.
Given that the new Alpina B3 models will be based around the facelifted
3-Series, they should benefit from a number of interior upgrades. This will
likely include the curved display of the all-electric i4 that houses the infotainment
screen and the digital gauge cluster.
