No one does cars quite like Alpina. How it manages to integrate production lines within BMW’s factory, yet stay recognised as a separate automobile company by the German Ministry of Transport is perplexing - in a good way. With trust levels so high between the Bovensiepen family of industrialists and BMW Group, we often wondered how long it could stay “independent”. And then the inevitable happened - BMW acquired Alpina in March 2022, alongside an agreement for Alpina to tidy up loose bits till 2025 with dealerships around the world.
Label it as a decision driven out of responsibility rather than coercion. After all, BMW could have forced Alpina out of its own production lines if it had untoward intentions? Sure, BMW Group’s influence on BMW as a brand would spillover even to special entities like Alpina. But with the onslaught of EVs around the globe churning out big performance numbers for breakfast, BMW knew that it’s time to pull its alter ego out from the deep end.
What BMW Group will do with Alpina remains to be seen, although initial reports point towards even more luxury and performance. Alpina seemed to already bridge the gap to a tee - its in-house workshop produces Lavalina leather by hand, and a sizable chunk of its portfolio feature diesel engines with torque figures eclipsing M machines of similar generation.
We found this Alpina B3 sedan based on the E36 donor car. First impressions led us to think that this shouldn’t be the exact specimen to remind us of Alpina’s soon-to-be glory days. That can be reserved for the functional, frugal (claimed 18km/l in a 700Nm car sounds bonkers) and frighteningly fast Alpina D3 Biturbo Touring.
So is a petrol powered Alpina sedan still desirable? Definitely, even more so when clothed in an E36 shell - a generation often accused of not living up to the E30’s appeal. Proportions are subjective but I think the E36 sedan looks perfect, even more pleasing to the eye than the coupe and hatchback.
The B3 3.2 featured here packs a M50-coded 3.2-litre inline-6 petrol engine (bored up from 2.8-litres) that churns out 265bhp and 330Nm - 75bhp and 50Nm more than the E36 328i . Peak torque arrives a bit later than the 328i, something that we found a bit skeptical as their diesel-powered cars have big numbers down low in the rev range for more on-road usability.
But who are we to criticise when back then Alpina had already celebrated three decades of existence? The B3 still managed a sub 6 seconds century sprint. This unit is equipped with an automatic, which means trademark nipple-style buttons on the steering wheel instead of paddle shifters - even then the latter became a thing for BMW only from the late 2000s onwards.
Is this unit worth considering? There is little information available, and what’s obtainable is a 999km mileage claim that sounds like psychological pricing (it lists for THB780,000 / S$29,800 by the way) more than a true reflection of its time on tarmac. Perhaps we should consult Alpina to verify its authenticity. Sure, there is a label above the glove compartment with the founder’s name. But we might as well contact Alpina directly now - who knows, the number could get routed to BMW’s hotline soon, right?
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