• Looks are subtle, but purposeful and aggressive. • Breadth of ability for comfort and performance. • Attention to detail.
• Shift 'nipples' over normal paddles. • That price.
‘The thinking man’s M4’ arrives Down Under.
Alpina cars aren’t built to be mainstream machines. And in spite of its over-50-year history, the German company’s unwritten production ceiling is to build less than 2,000 cars or so a year.
In that span, however, they’ve carved a very close relationship with BMW, with many of Alpina’s modifications fitted on the production line itself; modifications that may have been aero tested in BMW’s own wind tunnels and also includes an Alpina-specific VIN that overrides the original.
Enter the B4 Bi-Turbo, Alpina’s take on a tailored high-performance coupe based on a BMW 435i (not the updated 440i, mind you) that’s been massaged and moulded to deliver M-car levels of power and speed but with a level of comfort and everyday refinement that might have been lost on the M4.
It arrives on Aussie shores through the In Motion Group as a spearhead model to introduce the brand to local customers and will initially be available through dealerships in Doncaster and Bundoora with plans to expand nationwide.
It might look like a tarted up Bimmer coupe but take a breath to measure how much more car has been infused into a 4 Series shell and how extensive the mechanical, exterior, and interior alterations are, then it all measures up to a bespoke vehicle that's a convincingly different animal to the BMW, and then perhaps the $160,900 asking price might not make your eyes water as much.
Exterior
“While the B4 and the M4 could be mistaken as the same car from a distance, the Alpina errs more on the grand touring side of the ledger.” - Motoring.com.au
The B4’s body clearly has all the right proportions to identify its lineage, but in contrast to the M4 against which it is so frequently compared due to its performance and price, Alpina’s interpretation is definitely leaning far more toward a Gran Tourer than all-out sports car. On the whole, its styling is subtly aggressive and mature.
There’s all the usual bits that those who are familiar with the marque can’t have failed to notice, including huge 20-inch CLASSIC wheels and the bold and low ‘snow-plow’ front lip where the Alpina insignia is unabashedly placed.
Around the back there’s there’s more obvious evidence, but those emblems can be removed upon request. There’s also quad exits as part of a bespoke stainless steel Akrapovič exhaust system wrapped around a new lower rear diffuser.
And because of the BMW-Alpina relationship, nearly every optional extra that was offered is standard on the B4 Bi-Turbo, including LED headlamps with high-beam assist and a powered sunroof. Those who aren’t stimulated by Alpina’s bespoke exterior shades can even select from the BMW Individual palette - at a cost, that is.
Engine and Drivetrain
“The manufacturer has taken a BMW 435i and reworked almost every component to create a car that easily stands alongside the M Division’s creation in terms of performance.” - AutoExpress
Up front we have the traditional BMW layout of a six-cylinder engine and rear-wheel drive. It’s no normal six-pot, however, as the 435i’s N55 block is given a thorough go-around that’s also seen its single twin-scroll unit swapped for dual turbochargers as well as a new forged steel crankshaft and large volume intercooler.
This results in 301kW and 600Nm, a significant bump from the base engine’s 225kW/450Nm output and even trumps the M4 for peak torque with 50Nm extra but can’t match its 317kW power figure. In the real world, however, the B4 feels every bit as urgent with near-excessive amounts of poke. The engine is mated to the ZF 8-speed automatic instead of the M-DCT dual-clutch found in the M4, which suits the B4’s more ‘GT’ character well and is very nearly as quick to shift.
The dash from 0-100km/h is claimed to take just 4.2 seconds (0.1 slower than the M4) in ideal conditions with a top speed of 303km/h, although roll-on performance is where the B4 really impresses with its expert transmission calibration to slot you in just the right gear to make use of its 600Nm peak. There’s also a Drexler locking differential on the options list but wasn’t specified on the initial Aussie imports - a must-tick for fans of slithery sideways action.
Interior
“In typical Alpina fashion, the styling modifications are subtle but deceptively aggressive.” - CarAdvice
This has always been an Alpina stronghold, somehow managing to construct a cabin that feels a good few notches above the already premium BMW interior, but discreet enough to pass the glance test without much suspicion. There are many options for the discerning would-be owner and is by far the surest path to an inflated bottom line price.
Some might consider that a knock, but the sheer quality of the deconstructed and then hand-rebuilt Alpina - once experienced - is pervasive and considerable, but also means a common switchgear and control layout that can be serviced by BMW, including an iDrive infotainment system, gear shifter, HVAC inputs.
While every surface has a thicker, more luxurious feel, the steering wheel is finished in Lavalina leather - an ultra luxe material that can also be applied to the seat upholstery as an upgrade - and finished in parallel blue and green stitching while the trim materials include piano lacquer and other specifiable fine grain wood.
Behind The Wheel
“If you leave the dampers in their default setting you can waft around all day in quiet and comfort. This has always been a key component of the Alpina proposition,” - Autocar UK
Alpina has gone to town with the suspension tune on the B4 as they have with pretty much all their other cars, with no inhibitions about tampering the 4 Series’ on-road feel. This is reflected in the custom rubber that they’ve procured from Michelin, a set of Pilot Super Sports that are tailored to the specific car, which are of course more inherently pliant being non-run-flats.
However, one would expect ride quality to be compromised somewhat with those massive alloys and wafer-thin 30 series tyres, but Alpina’s combination of electronically adjustable dampers with new springs, auxiliary springs and anti-roll bars achieve a supple, almost creamy edge to the drive when set in Comfort mode.
But turn the wheel in anger and the front end grips sharply and the car starts to pivot immediately, albeit with some flex from the softer chassis tune. Show it too much torque mid-corner and the traction control will step in, but once off the lack of a locking diff means a ceiling to the manner in which a curve can be executed. Given an undulating track, though, some claim the B4 is actually quicker than the no-nonsense M4, and its performance definitely more usable on the road.
At speed, the car is poised and completely at home with its ravenous ability to consume longer journeys, riding on that supple suspension layer and wave of torque, something the diesel-powered Alpina alternatives must be even more adept at. And yet, somehow it can maintain that grace when more is expected of it, snapping to a sharp and playful sports car when that cosseting GT veneer is pierced.
Stopping power is handled by Brembo callipers (painted in blue) against ventilated steel discs (370mm at the front and 345mm at the rear) that should be able to resist fade in everything save for the most demanding of continuous track situations, something any Alpina owner worth his or her salt isn’t really looking to find themselves in anyhow.
A point of contention arrives with Alpina using horizontal shift button on the steering wheel instead of the more typical paddles. Owners and those who have spent more time with these unique input devices have grown to like them, but the consensus is unanimous that it will take getting used to especially flicking a paddle has become second nature. Thankfully, the ZF automatic is usually intelligent enough that you might not even need or want to intervene.
Verdict
The BMW M4 isn’t for everybody, with its angrier twin-turbo engine, stereo-enhanced soundtrack, exposed-carbon interior trim and pin-sharp handling. But it is the clearest expression of BMW M’s interpretation of the sports coupe.
However, Alpina takes a different approach with the B4 (as they have with all their other cars) which uses many of the same ingredients but swaps the harsher spices for a milder, smoothly textured flavour profile.
It could be interpreted as the most refined version of a BMW there is, as price isn’t really a consideration when under development. But performance hasn’t been relegated to a second-tier priority, with some painstaking measures taken to successfully marry speed and handling with luxury.
Put more simply, it’s the thinking man’s M4. A car that can match cars twice its price in terms of all-round ability and Grand Touring opulence. It is at the same time a BMW but so much more, an exclusive machine that commands a high price and also demands respect, especially from those who know that to look for.
Motoring - 77/100 - “…provides a similar level of performance, but in a subtler package that’s more comfortable and a practical daily driver to boot.”
CarAdvice - 8.5/10 - “…think of the Alpina B4 as more of a cut-price Maserati GranTurismo, something with smooth cruising performance, luxury and technology for days, in a unique usable package.”
Drive - “The B4 is less shouty in its presentation, more comfortable day-to-day and makes less of an outright performance statement, even though it's within a whisker of being as fast and powerful as the M4.”
CarsGuide - “I'd be hard-pressed going past the M... but I suspect I might be just as hard-pressed passing a well-driven B4.”
Autocar UK - 8/10 - “The B4 over-delivers on the promise of both its looks and what we now expect from Alpina. Its real skill is to provide a wider breadth of ability than any BMW using the same shell without contriving to be a jack-of-all-trades.”
WheelsMag - “Think of it as an extremely capable and comfortable grand tourer that will easily convince you to drive rather than fly the next time you have an interstate meeting.”
AutoExpress - 8/10 - “…it’s the car for people that think an M4 might be just a little too much. The fact that it costs almost exactly the same as the M4 makes this choice a very difficult one.”
