ALPINA B4 Gran Coupe in the Works — The M4 Gran Coupe Substitute

BMW never made an M4 Gran Coupe, much to the dismay of many BMW enthusiasts. The standard 4 Series Gran Coupe has a bit of a cult following, as owners really don’t want to replace it with anything else from BMW’s lineup. Understandable so, as the 4er GC offers a great blend of style, practicality, and performance, a blend the 3 Series’ can’t always match. Which is why those same customers always wanted an M4 version that BMW never gave them. Now, European customers are in luck, as the ALPINA B4 Gran Coupe will be the fast version of the 4 Series GC they’ve always wanted.

We don’t know when it’s coming, all we know is that it is coming. No official information about the car has been released but there are a few things it’s almost guaranteed to have. For starters, it’s almost certainly going to get the same ALPINA-tuned version of BMW’s S58 engine as the ALPINA B3. That would give the ALPINA B4 Gran Coupe the same 456 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Again, no specifics were announced but you can be your ass it will also have the same eight-speed automatic as the B3 as well.

What will be very interesting to see is what ALPINA does with the new grille. With the ALPINA B3, the brand opted for the same standard grille as the 3 Series, rather than the mahoosive one of the M3. For the M4 Gran Coupe, it doesn’t have such a choice, as even the standard 4 Series has the new grille design. If ALPINA does use the 4 Series grille, which we don’t see how it couldn’t, it will be very interesting to see what the brand does with it.

ALPINA’s ethos; of making BMWs faster, more comfortable, better at high-speed cruising, and more premium inside; should work well on the 4 Series Gran Coupe. It’s always been more of a four-door GT car than anything else. Considering four-door GT cars are what ALPINA does best, you can tickle us excited.

[Source: g80.bimmerpost]