New Alpina B4 gets four doors and outpaces BMW M4 competition Car News

Alpina has closed the gap between the BMW 4 Series and the BMW M4 Competition with the second-generation B4, which gains a pair of rear doors for the first time.

Based on the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, the new Alpina B4 Gran Coupe arrives just weeks after the Buchloe-based tuning brand was acquired by BMW and is therefore officially named the BMW Alpina B4.

It is expected to be the latest addition to the brand’s current range of modified BMW models.

As with the company’s take on the BMW 3 Series, the Alpina B3, the new B4 uses a tuned version of the ‘S58′ twin turbo 3.0 liters straight-six petrol engine, sending 488 hp and 538 lb-ft through an eight-speed automatic gearbox to both axles – only slightly less power and 59 lb-ft more torque than the M4 Competition from 503 ch.

Despite the power deficit and weighing 240kg more than the two-door M4 competition, the B4 is actually 0.1 seconds quicker than the more hardcore 0-62mph car, needing just 3.7 seconds for the sprint, and she just tops it for top speed, too, peaking at 187 mph.

The B4 manages 28mpg on the WLTP cycle and emits 229g/km of CO2.

Engine modifications include bespoke turbine housings that “convert exhaust gas energy into boost pressure” at low revs, a larger intercooler, an improved air filter system and a cooling system optimized.

The gearbox has also been beefed up to cope with the greatly increased torque output and is set up to send the bulk of the engine’s power to the rear, “as befits the athletic character” of the car.

Unlike the M4, the B4 is designed to provide not only “top-level driving dynamics, but also plenty of comfort for relaxed touring”. The chassis has therefore been extensively modified in accordance with this invoicing.

Alpina lists upgrades including new bulkhead reinforcement struts, stiffer bushings and brackets, bespoke front anti-roll bars and a unique spring and damper setup among the hardware changes that give the B4 a distinct character. The variable dampers are said to give “noticeable differentiation between different drive modes”, while three different modes of steering response are available.