BMW Alpina B4 vs BMW M2
What's the difference?

BMW Alpina B4

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2018 price

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BMW M2

$95,990 - $118,888

2024 price

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Aston Martin Vanquish

Lamborghini Aventador

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes-Benz S450

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Summary

2018 BMW Alpina B4

2024 BMW M2

By Peter Anderson

By Andrew Chesterton

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 6, 3.0L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

7.6L/100km (combined)

9.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Ride and handling
Brilliant engine
Distinctive

Potent powertrain
Intoxicating exhaust
Fun, fun, fun

Dislikes

The price
No Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Some dodgy styling features

Firm ride in the city
Backseat a challenge
Price is only going up

2018 BMW Alpina B4 Summary

If you're looking for a sleek, two-door coupe with a sparkling chassis, rear-wheel drive and a charismatic turbo straight-six, BMW has you covered with about eight choices. That should be that, then. But wait. There's more.

Since 1965, Alpina - the name of a resurrected a typewriter company - has collaborated closely with BMW to produce distinct, high performance Alpina-badged cars. It actually started with a Weber dual-carburettor unofficial conversion for the BMW 1500 in 1962 and over the years built into a racing operation winning championships and races like the Spa 24 Hours.

Alpina returned to Australian shores in 2017 after a long hiatus with a new range including the BMW 4 Series based B4. Not long after, BMW updated the 4 in what it calls LCI (Lifecycle Impulse), so Alpina followed suit with a price drop, new gear and called it the B4 S.

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2024 BMW M2 Summary

I think auto journalists are supposed to see vehicles a bit like parents see their children. You know, view them all as equals. No favourites. That kind of thing.

But I'm going to let you in on a tiny little secret, just between us. I liked this potent M2 before I even sat in it. And I like it just a little bit more than I love other bite-sized performance cars.

In fact, I like it more than I like bigger, more powerful, and more expensive models in the BMW M family.

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Deep dive comparison

2018 BMW Alpina B4 2024 BMW M2

Verdict

You could almost call the B4 S the anti-M4. It's still fast and practical but from a completely different perspective. It's much more a grand tourer than the M4 and even with the Akrapovic exhaust (usually a byword for joyous, anti-social racket), subtle.

For some, the price won't matter because the Alpina delivers what they want - M4-like straight line performance without the histrionics or the uncompromising chassis. And there's also a bit of that perverse exclusivity of the styling that you won't get anywhere else.

Verdict

Proving good things still come in small packages, the pint-sized M2 remains my pick of the BMW M range. It's not the perfect daily drive, but I reckon the fun outweighs the foibles.

BMW Alpina B4 vs BMW M2 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

BMW Alpina B4 vs BMW M2
What's the difference?