The comparisons between Alpina’s products and BMW’s M cars will never cease to show up. Every now and then someone thinks it’s a good idea to compare them but forgets that they are not rivals. Chip in diesel alternatives and the differences spar even wider.
Autocar’s Steve Suitcliffe did exactly this in his most recent review. He took an Alpina D4 Biturbo out for a test and was so impressed by the torque that he immediately started saying that this car could give BMW a run for its money. Mind you, this is a diesel!
The Alpina D4 Biturbo is one of the fastest cars the company is currently making. Based on the 435d model, the D4 makes 350 HP and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque ,which is basically inches away from the world record for 3-liter mills - 740 Nm (546 lb-ft).
Thanks to its powertrain and 8-speed transmission, the D4 will do 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.6 seconds which is absolutely incredible and on par with the E92 M3 that went out of production last year.
Yet, as impressive as those figures are, it will never be even close to the M4. That’s because the philosophies behind the two cars are completely different.
Alpina sells luxurious products that are focused on offering you the best materials and finishes. Sure, they also have the performance to match but taken on a track, the duality of the M products will keep them in front of anything the tuner has to offer.
On the other hand, the M4 is aiming to offer exactly what we said earlier: performance and practicality. While you can use the M4 on a track to race your friends, you can also take your kids to school in it, as we found in our cover story dedicated to the practical side of this car.
Bottom line, there’s a reason why one car has the M badge on it and why one looks more classy: different strokes for different folks people! Just pick one and go with it.
PS: the fuel consumption reasoning doesn’t really stand up here either because if you’re willing to spend at least €58,600 on a D4 Biturbo, then fuel economy is not necessarily an issue. The same applies for the M4.
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