Before BMW themselves presented the M3 in estate form, Alpina released the B3 Touring. To see what really sets these two apart, Harry Metcalfe took both cars out and compared them (although we only see him drive the M3). The Alpina is not as aggressive as the M3 and also looks a bit more discreet, and doesn’t have the beaver grille as it is based on the version before.
But the cars still have similar performance – 468 horsepower and 700 newton meters in the Alpina, 510 horsepower and 650 newton meters in the M3. The Alpina is also around £12,000 cheaper. Overall, Harry concludes that the M3 is sharper in all respects and if you want to ride a bit more comfortably but still fast, it’s the Alpina that applies. Just as expected.
