Photo: Cars & Bids
There have been a lot of interesting variations of the fourth-generation 3 Series, also known as the E46. Chief among them were the M3 and M3 CSL, but also the 330i or 330d, both of which were relatively quick by late 90s - early 2000s standards. Meanwhile, the 328i with its 190 hp and 207 lb-ft (280 nm) of torque was decent too, but nothing to write home about. That is, until Alpina decided to do something about it.
The B3 3.3 was Alpina’s first attempt at turning the E46 BMW 3 Series into a genuine sports sedan, and it featured the 328i specification as a starting point. Then came the B3 S variant, which was based on the E46 330i but curiously, wasn’t that much more powerful than the B3 3.3, which is why the latter offered such tremendous value.
Speaking of value, we found this gorgeous 2000 Alpina Blue example getting auctioned off through Cars and Bids, and with just a few hours left on the clock, the highest bid hasn’t even reached the $10,000 mark. You could literally get this car for less than what you’d pay for a 10-year-old Corolla if you hurry.
The vehicle has been imported and titled in Canada all the way from Japan, although rest assured that it’s a left-hand drive model. Now, even Doug DeMuro believes that this is a rare car, and we can’t help but agree, especially for North America. Also, only 199 such units were ever built with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Some of its highlights include the custom body kit, graphics, badging, signature 18-inch multi-spoke wheels, cruise control, sports seats, a sunroof and custom gauges, while mods include a Kenwood Bluetooth radio unit with Apple CarPlay and a JDM radar detector.
As for performance, that 6-speed manual is connected to a 3.3-liter inline-six engine, good for 276 hp (280 ps) and 247 lb-ft (335 nm) of torque. That’s roughly 50 hp less than you’d get in an E46 M3, so don’t even pretend like this wouldn’t be an absolute joy to drive. The only downside is that it’s got 103,800 miles (167,433 km) on the clock, but that’s far from horrible.
Speaking of value, we found this gorgeous 2000 Alpina Blue example getting auctioned off through Cars and Bids, and with just a few hours left on the clock, the highest bid hasn’t even reached the $10,000 mark. You could literally get this car for less than what you’d pay for a 10-year-old Corolla if you hurry.
The vehicle has been imported and titled in Canada all the way from Japan, although rest assured that it’s a left-hand drive model. Now, even Doug DeMuro believes that this is a rare car, and we can’t help but agree, especially for North America. Also, only 199 such units were ever built with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Some of its highlights include the custom body kit, graphics, badging, signature 18-inch multi-spoke wheels, cruise control, sports seats, a sunroof and custom gauges, while mods include a Kenwood Bluetooth radio unit with Apple CarPlay and a JDM radar detector.
As for performance, that 6-speed manual is connected to a 3.3-liter inline-six engine, good for 276 hp (280 ps) and 247 lb-ft (335 nm) of torque. That’s roughly 50 hp less than you’d get in an E46 M3, so don’t even pretend like this wouldn’t be an absolute joy to drive. The only downside is that it’s got 103,800 miles (167,433 km) on the clock, but that’s far from horrible.
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