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BMW Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

Mon, 09 Sep 2013

If a collection of numbers dictated how we ranked and rated a car, the new BMW Alpina D3 might just be the best all-rounder in the world. You’re looking at a discreet and comfortable 3-series that’ll return a claimed 53.2mpg, and scorch to 62mph in just 4.6 seconds, quicker than the outgoing BMW M3. Read on to find out how.

The new BMW Alpina D3 sounds too good to be true!

It’s a breathed-on 3.0-litre straight-six diesel that’s responsible for the D3’s bipolarity, and the new twin-turbo engine has been tuned up to 345bhp and a massive 516lb ft.

Swapping gears is the work of BMW’s eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, while drive to the rear wheels can be handled by a limited-slip differential if you tick the required option box. Also on the goodies list are classic Alpina 20in turbine alloy wheels – 19s are standard.

As you’ll see in the picture, Alpina is offering the D3 as a saloon or Touring estate – a line-up mirrored by its petrol-powered brother, the B3 Bi-Turbo.

With BMW stubbornly refusing to offer an M3 Touring – and no sign yet of an M Performance diesel 3-series (in the same vein as the M550d), could Alpina’s Touring trump card persuade you to opt away from an M Division Three? Tell us which would get your money in the comments below.

Thanks to its combination of frugality and M3-busting pace, the D3 has become Alpina’s most popular model, selling more than 2000 examples since it debuted in 2005.

The BMW Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo will be officially unveiled tomorrow at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show. Prices are yet to be confirmed, but it’s likely to cost around £45,000 when the order books open later in September 2013. And if you're lucky enough to live in a country where left-hand drive is the norm, you can spec your D3 Bi-Turbo with four-wheel drive too.


By Ollie Kew