BMW makes cars in just about every size and spec. There's a compact sedan with a transverse four-cylinder and a giant seven-passenger V-8 SUV, with every imaginable segment in between covered. Yet despite the success of both the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the M4, there's no hot version of the Gran Coupe. If that's what you're after, Alpina now offers the answer: the 2023 B4.
Of course, a four-door M4 is essentially an M3—especially with the M3 getting the gaping 4-Series grille, there's little stylistic difference between the 4 Series Gran Coupe and the M3. Yet the Gran Coupe's sweeping fastback still suggests a slightly more athletic car, a check the M440i Gran Coupe couldn't cash. Now, though, the Alpina B4 arrives with 495 hp and a 0-62 mph time of 3.7 seconds. That'll do.
Now of course, those numbers don't quite match the M4 Competition. That car makes 503 hp and can manage a 3.4-second run to 60. Still, Alpina's four-door fastback beats the 473-hp version from BMW, and comes standard with all-wheel drive. A torque-converter eight-speed automatic is the only transmission option. Alpina says the B4 should be capable of 187 mph.
Chassis improvements include stiffer anti-roll bars and more negative camber at the front, which Alpina credits with improved lateral stability. Just don't expect this to outshine the M4 on a track. Alpina has always leaned more toward grand touring cars, with suspension tuning that's often more compliant than the typical M car. The idea is long-range, high-speed backroad bombing, not an all-out track attack.
If that's your speed, the Alpina B4 should be out in July. We're not sure if it'll make it to the U.S. market, but we've asked Alpina for clarification on that, and we'll report back when we get an answer.
