Published:
13 November 2020BMW has given Alpina an excellent canvas here, and it’s one upon which the trimmers in Buchloe work only lightly.
The most obvious addition for the B3 is the ultra-supple Lavalina leather (Bavarian and preserved without salt) stitched around the steering rim and airbag cover. It gives the driving environment an immediate lift, and Alpina’s optional CNC-milled aluminium paddle shifters, first seen on the old B4 S Edition 99, add to the rich tactility of the controls.
Alpina has also reskinned BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional instrument display in a fetching shade of blue with green highlights, although at least one tester was disappointed to find that the marque’s classic blue analogue dials, with their crisp orange needles, have now been consigned to history.
Where you go from here depends on your tastes and your budget. As standard, the B3 is fitted with BMW’s new generation of sports seats, which are well bolstered and trimmed in both Alcantara and a man-made Sensatec. The next rung up the ladder is Vernasca leather, although our car’s seats go still one better and are swathed in Merino leather, which is well worth the £1900 outlay.
Spend more and the dashboard can also be trimmed in Merino, for an overall effect that feels more 7 Series than 3 Series. It’s then possible to have the entire cabin upholstered in Lavalina, but to do so requires extraordinarily deep pockets and so is usually the preserve of the B5 Bi-Turbo or flagship Alpina B7 saloon. As for the hard surfaces, piano black is standard, although aluminium is a no-cost option and it’s possible to specify various rustic-feeling woods, including oak, maple and ash.
