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Alpina B3 Touring
Auto Express
|May 24, 2023
FIRST DRIVE B3 offers a subtle alternative to BMW's M3 Touring
IT'S been a big 12 months for BMW's M Division. Munich's motorsport arm celebrated its 50th birthday by releasing its first purpose-built M car since the original M1, which took the imposing form of the plug-in hybrid XM SUV.
A model much closer to M's original core values was the new M3 Touring, the very first big-booted hot 3 Series. It didn't disappoint, providing all the excitement of an M3 saloon but with the practicality of a 500-litre boot thanks to its wagon bodystyle.
Neither are cars for the shy or retiring, though, so if you want a more subtle way of going very, very quickly, there is an alternative: the Alpina B3 Touring. Recent updates have brought it in line with the latest 3 Series, including new, larger infotainment screens, but Alpina has made tweaks elsewhere, too.
Among the subtle cosmetic changes is a revised front bumper. It adds a little more menace to the face, but it's still very conservative compared with the M3. Our test car rides on optional 20-inch alloy wheels, although 19-inch rims are fitted to the B3 Touring as standard.
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This story is from the May 24, 2023 edition of Auto Express.
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