Motor Australia – May 2019

➜

ONE The M3 Pure

and Giulia use carbon-

fibre roofs to lower

their centre of gravity

and have a more

planted feel

TWO

Water intercooled S55

is seriously eager and

works well with the

seven-speed dual-

clutch

THREE

The interior has

everything you need,

however, it lacks the

tech and functionality

of the AMG’s new cabin

its lower trap speed are, ultimately, less obvious.
The thing is, while it produces the same power at the
flywheel, the nine-speed’s shorter gear ratios increase the force
put through the rear wheels. Yet, its rear tyres are still the same
width. The result leaves the C63 starving for grip and the Alfa
Romeo is about to prove that’s nothing to do with today’s drag
strip surface.
Spin the Giulia’s drive mode selector past Dynamic to Race,
disabling ESP in the process, and stomp the gas. It bucks
sideways down the launch pad as it breaks traction, the Pirelli
P Zero Corsas clearly no match for the Ferrari-derived engine
even with the widest rear tyres of this lot. You try a cleaner
launch and hold your left foot soft on the brake, the right softly
on the throttle. Build revs to 1800rpm, then lift.
Blending one pedal input into the other from the line is
key. The short-stroke V6 is extremely energetic and threatens
to break traction high in the revs, so plucking the huge shift
paddle to snatch second keeps the rear axle gripped up. Watch
the revs soar past its indicated redline to 7200rpm. It’s quick. It
snags 100km/h in 4.21 seconds and covers the strip in 12.11sec
in fifth gear carrying 193.6km/h.
Next is the BMW M3 Pure. Gulp. Its heavily boosted six
cylinder engine is known to fry tyres. Will it matter the Pure’s
rear boots are 10mm skinnier? Let’s see. Set the shift program
to Sport, the transmission map to its highest setting, engine
response to Sport Plus and, with a quivering finger, press and
hold the DSC button until it’s switched off.
Revs rise on the brake with a hard-edged buzz. Then, release,
and nothing. No evil wheelspin, axle tramp or power cut. It
just digs in. You can feel the fatter, softer Continental sidewalls
pressing into the ground, helping it explode from the line like
Ian Thorpe launched off the blocks. More revs? Sure.
At 3500rpm it still grips and goes. Storming to the 7500rpm

limiter in each gear and at the horizon with intimidating ease.

It reaches 100km/h from rest in 4.15 seconds, only a tenth off

its claimed time. It covers the strip’s total distance in 12.14sec

at 191.39km/h.

Launch control in the Alpina B3 S is similar to the M3.

Whack its gear lever across into Sport mode, disable stability

control and stall the eight-speed ZF automatic at 2000rpm.

But that’s where the similarities end. Lift the brake and nothing

happens for a second. Then the turbos wake up. All of a sudden

you’re on opposite lock, wrestling the 660Nm that’s arrived.

Launching on a grippier section helps tame this sudden rush

of boost. It squats and rocks about as you roar away, shifting at

6300rpm as the stability systems delicately balances between

grip and slip. Persistence pays off, though.

Times tumble as heat builds in the B3 S’s tyres and

turbochargers. Without changing anything, its 400m time falls

from 12.7sec on the first run to 12.6 in the second, then 12.5

for the third, then eventually to 12.44sec. Each 0-100km/h time

drops as well, ending with 4.37sec, or a tenth off the claimed

THE M3 GRIPS AND GOES,

STORMING TO ITS LIMITER,

AND THE HORIZON, WITH

INTIMIDATING EASE

66 may 2019 whichcar.com.au/motor