Valentino Rossi生涯64桿位114個分站冠軍9次世界冠軍

If you're fed up of waiting for the new BMW  M3 to arrive early next year, there is another way. Alpina, creator of bespoke BMWs for over fifty years, has  launched the B3 Biturbo - a 404bhp twin-turbo 3 Series based on the current  335i.

As with all Alpinas, this is far more than an ECU remap and a glued-on  bodykit - it's an overhaul from the inside out. For starters, the 335i's  3.0-litre engine uses a single twin-scroll turbo, but Alpina prefers the  throttle response with two smaller turbos, so has rebuilt the engine  accordingly. The result is 404bhp and a thumping 600Nm (the same torque output  as the 6.2-litre V8-powered Mercedes  C63 AMG) - while the 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds is 0.5 seconds quicker than  the outgoing V8 BMW M3.

What's astonishing about this engine is its dual personalities. Brush the  throttle and it's as quiet, flexible and smooth as any other modern  BMW six-cylinder, but keep it pinned and it transforms into a snarling beast.  The engine's natural bassy resonance as the revs climb is amplified by a new  stainless steel Akrapovic exhaust, and the thrust above 2,500rpm is as much as  you could reasonably need in a road car.

And that's precisely what the B3 feels like - a road car. While BMW's 'M'  cars feel like racers dumbed down for public roads, the B3 keeps comfort and  usability at its core, despite the ballistic performance  on tap.

You can dip in and out of the Alpina's hooligan side, via the Comfort, Sport  and Sport+ modes, which tweak the adaptive dampers (standard fit unlike the  335i), steering weight, gearshift patterns on the eight-speed auto and leniency  of the ESP. Comfort mode feels plush, supple and perfect for the commute or  floating along the motorway - despite stiffer, Alpina-specific springs and  anti-roll bars.

The price for this refinement is rather loose body control in quick corners,  but selecting Sport or Sport+ quickly rectifies that - for an acceptable  sacrifice in comfort. In fact, the way the B3 rides despite wearing gorgeous  20-inch multi-spoke alloys is what sets it apart from an M3.

Really throw it around, or venture onto a track, and the B3 will never match  the M3's scalpal-like responses, but it's still sharper and livelier than an Audi RS5. The steering is  direct and weights up as G-forces build, while our only criticism of the  unflappable eight-speed gearbox is the strange nipples on the back of the wheel  (instead of paddles) for changing gears manually.

Alpinas are designed to fly under the radar, hence the somber colour scheme,  subtle bodykit and small boot lip spoiler. Look closer and the wheel badges,  lettering on the front grille and interior touches like an individual plaque and  embroided seats give just enough clues that this is something special, but don't  shout about its performance.

At just short of £55,000, it's not cheap, but given the amount of equipment  and power it's justified. The B3 is by no means a poor cousin to the M3, it's a  distinct alternative designed to cater for how normal people drive 90 per cent  of the time, rather than chasing that final tenth.