2021 Alpina D3 S Debuts As The Next Best Thing To An M3 Diesel

Alpina unveiled the new B3 in October 2019 and now its 3 Series lineup is extending to include a diesel counterpart. Meet the D3 S, a potent take on the diesel 3er recipe positioned above BMW's own M340d. It takes the straight-six 3.0-liter engine to a respectable 350 horsepower (261 kilowatts) and a massive 538 pound-feet (730 Newton-meters) of torque, an increase of 15 hp (11 kW) and 30 Nm (22 lb-ft) over the M340d.

In terms of performance, the Alpina D3 S hits 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 4.6 seconds in the case of the sedan and in 4.8 seconds for the slightly heavier wagon. Interestingly, these are the same numbers published by BMW for its own M340d models. According to the Buchloe-based BMW specialist, the sedan tops out at 170 mph (273 km/h) whereas the Touring can get up to 168 mph (270 km/h).

With the full amount of torque kicking in at a low 1,750 rpm, the Alpina D3 S was conceived to devour highways and effortlessly rack up the miles. It's the company's first model to embrace BMW's mild-hybrid technology, which aside from providing even lower fuel consumption also offers an extra boost at low engine speeds while improving the throttle response.

Alpina has updated the transmission software of the ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox to cope with the added power while providing quicker shift times. The D3 S models benefit from an electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential as standard equipment and borrow the suspension and chassis tweaks from their gasoline siblings.

The D3 S has sourced the braking system from the larger B5 Bi-Turbo while gaining subtle styling upgrades Alpina models are known and appreciated for, perfecting the OEM look. The car rides standard on 19-inch wheels, but can be ordered with an optional 20-inch set featuring the timeless 20-spoke design and reducing weight by a total of 14 kilograms (31 pounds).

Alpina is already taking orders for the D3 S and will kick off customer delivers in November. At home in Germany, the sedan kicks off at €70,500 while the wagon begins from €71,900.