Über rare and properly mental BMW ALPINA B3 GT3 at Munich Motor Works in Dubai, UAE.
[Not a valid template]Hearing that Munich Motor Works in Dubai had an Alpina in stock didn’t really come as much of a surprise. As an independent workshop specializing in German marques – and an authorized DINAN Performance Centre capable of turning your ‘mild’ BMW M5 into a 700+hp beast – the occasional product from Alpina Burkard Bovenslepen GmbH rolling through their shutter doors would be considered ‘the norm’. However, this Alpina is a bit special.
Released in 2012, the BMW Alpina B3 GT3 is an über rare limited edition built to celebrate Alpina’s successful return to international motorsport with drivers Alexandros Margaritis and Dino Lunardi winning the German GT Series – the 2011 ADAC GT Masters Championship – in the BMW ALPINA B6 GT3. Many technical features have been carried over from the race car and imbue the B3 GT3 with even more testosterone than your average Alpina.
Six-piston fixed calipers up front do the grabbing on 380 x 35mm grooved discs and four-pistons at the rear hang on to 355 X 32mm items. The lightweight titanium exhaust, developed in collaboration with Akrapovi?, sees a reduction in both back pressure and weight and is trimmed with tasty lightweight carbon tailpipes.
Power comes from the twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine from the Alpina B3 S Bi-Turbo but the ante has been upped to 408hp @6000rpm. However, if you know Alpina like I know Alpina, you will know that horsepower figures are completely irrelevant. With Alpina, it is always about the torque and the B3 GT3 has 540 Newton metres worth. To give a comparison, the E92 BMW M3 – with its 4-litre V8 – produces ‘only’ 400Nm and this model would eat it for breakfast.
Suspension is fully height adjustable, front camber can be tweaked for personal preference and the B3 GT3 rolls on bespoke, lightweight 19-inch forged wheels that still maintain the classic 20-spoke design associated with Alpina. I am, however, skirting around the most obvious and in-yer-face aspect of the B3 GT3: it looks proper mental.
Limited to just 99 units worldwide, all B3 GT3s came with a carbon fibre aero-package – that isn’t just there because it looks mighty purdy – and a high level of standard equipment. Available in Black Sapphire or Mineral White metallics, there was also an Alpina Blue Metallic special option. Maximum kudos to whoever ordered this one from the factory though as they opted for the balls-out, full body vinyl wrap in the official B6 GT3 race car livery and interior green lacquer trim. Looking at it, you have to wonder why anyone would have ordered it in anything else.
Thanks to Munich Motor Works
