Alpina At 2009 Geneva Motor Show

[JoshCalkins]

The first weekend of the Geneva Motor Show has come to an end, and Alpina wanted to surprise everybody with a new entrant for their display. They had previously set the new B7 Bi-Turbo and the B6 GT3 on display, but over the weekend they rolled out a facelift on their B3 Bi-Turbo Touring model (new pictures of the B3 have been added to the 2009 Geneva Motor Show Gallery here).

Here's a quick rundown of the three Alpina models at the show:

Alpina B3 Bi-Turbo

B3 Bi-Turbo Touring: The B3 is based off of the E91 platform 3-Series and was originally released in 2007. Not too much has changed since the initial release. The B3 still has a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that pumps out 360 bhp and 369 foot-pounds of torque (500 Nm). The only adjustments to the new model are changes in the front-end cosmetics and some suspension tweaks that make the B3 more nimble.

Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo

B7 Bi-Turbo: The B7 has a modified bersion of the new 7-Series V8 under the hood that is fitted with dual turbos. Exact engine specifications were kept under wraps until Geneva, but Alpina has released the performance figures: 0-to-62 mph in 4.7 seconds, 507 bhp, and 516 foot-pounds of torque (700 Nm). Engine displacement is the same as the 7-Series at 4.4-liters. body modifications include lowering both the front and rear suspension (front lowered 0.2 inches farther to give the car a forward-leaning stance), 21-inch 20-spoke wheels, and other slight cosmetic changes. The suspension has also been upgraded.

Alpina B6 GT3

B6 GT3: Alpina hasn't made a car specifically for racing (although many of their models have been used in races) in twenty years. To celebrate their return to the racing field, they created the B6 GT3. The B6 is powered by the same engine as the B7, but has been tuned to up its performance to 530 bhp and 535 foot-pounds of torque (725 Nm). What sets the B6 GT3 apart from other Alpina models is the inclusion of a newly designed radial-style supercharger, which has evolved from the supercharger on the B6 S. Alpina plans to enter two B6 GT3s in "selected 24-hour races" and the VLN endurance trials at the Nurburgring. So far, a GT3 has done a 300 km test race in late January, but a full racing schedule hasn't been released yet. The B6 will compete in the FIA GT3 European Championship class and in country-based GT3 races around Europe.


In a big change, the B6 GT3 will be will be available for sale to other race teams and to private collectors as well, although modifications will likely be needed to make the car street-legal. Also sales-wise, Alpina is making a push to increase their brand awareness around the world. This likely means that more Alpina models will end up in North America than have previously.