Motor Australia – May 2019

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ONETheN55

enginelives!Alpina

continuedtouse

theblockafterBMW

upgradedtotheB58

inthe40imodels

TWOTheB3S was

theonlycarontest

missinganLSD,a

fairlybigoversight

with660Nm

THREEBrand

founderBurkard

Bovensiepenchose

tobuildfastBMWs

overa legacyinhis

family’ssuccessful

typewriterbusiness

racecardrivermightcrave.

They’d besatisfied in the M3 Pure, though. Things just

happensomuch faster. The brakes, if you haven’t cooked

them,bitehardwithfeel.Thatfront-end, despite a lifeless and

vaguesteeringrack,rotatesthechassis so quickly, you’ll lock

ona corner’sexitbeforetheAMG or Giulia have released their

brakes.It’spotent.

Confidencebuildsthroughthenext corners. And while you

mayhaveusedtodreadsqueezing the throttle in an M3, the

Purehooksuplikeneverbefore.Tighten the steering, sink the

throttle,andwaitfortheengine’svicious mid-range to unglue

therear.Andratherthanblessthe MDM mode’s safety net,

youstarttocurseit,becauseyou’re ready with a good dab of

oppositelockwhenit letsgo.

Its Continental boots are to thank for this welcome

progressiveness.Their softer sidewalls, that are also taller

thantheoptional20-inchMichelin’s, cushion the Pure’s firm,

loweredsuspension.We’dbetthey’d do better in the rain, as

well.But,attheendoftheday,isthis the one car we’d stow in

ourgarage?Well,it’snotourlastpick. That is the Alpina.

Sure,theB3Sisimpressive.It’s found an absorbent ride

witha long-travelfeelon20-inchwheels. Also that N55-based

engine, howling through an Akrapovic exhaust, is rortier than

the M3’s coarse sounding S55. And its new drive-away price,

at $117K, is outrageously cheap considering it’s attached to

something that can reel off 12.4sec quarter miles. No wonder

there’s a crankshaft on the brand’s emblem, these people can

build an engine.

But the B3 S’s interior is literally a generation old. And it

was never going to look the part for its original $157K price

without the M3’s aggressive, swollen sheet metal. Those wheels

are gorgeous, and its sticker kit nods to the firm’s history,

but it feels more like a heavily tuned 340i than something

re-engineered to a higher level.

However, if comfort sits high on your priority list then the

Audi and Alfa Romeo are both equally good options as each

other. The Audi differentiates itself from a frenetic Giulia Q or

brash C63 S as a grand tourer on steroids. Climbing into it is

like entering a leather-lined Zen den. It also rides wonderfully

on its hydraulically linked dampers in Comfort, even if it needs

more travel, and always has enough grip for explosive straight-

line acceleration.

It’s problem, though, is a philosophical one. While it’s

ferociously fast in the right environment, part of us thinks

something with an RS badge, that stands for RennSport

(‘motor racing’ in German), should deliver more handling

precision, chassis responsiveness and an aggro noise. And if

we had to define this car on its character, it feels closer to what

an S5 Sportback Performance would be rather than a racetrack

mauler in a leather suit.

The Giulia Q, meanwhile, finds the precision that’s missing

in the Audi. In fact, its ride and handling mix is world-class.

That engine, too, is effortless and the force behind the car’s

staggering speed. But it’s all tarnished by a weird feeling brake

system and an addictive exhaust note hidden away in Race

mode that disables ESP.

Then there’s its interior. The Alcantara steering wheel and

long paddles are striking, and wonderfully tactile, while the

THE B3 S IS

OUTRAGEOUSLY CHEAP

CONSIDERING IT CAN REEL

OFF 12.4SEC QUARTERS

72 may 2019 whichcar.com.au/motor