Were you to drive the GT back to back with the regular B3, we have no doubt the precision of the special-edition car would be palpable. However, in isolation there isn’t quite enough to differentiate the two.
This is mostly down to the steering, of which there is nothing untoward in terms of the speed of the rack and weight of the action – both are sweetly judged – but there remains a slight remoteness and lack of communication that might have been improved on. The GT tracks into corners faithfully and accurately, but your exit is generally a more enjoyable and carefree exercise than entry, and this is particularly true in the wet. By comparison, an M3 Touring bites hungrily and vividly on turn-in.
Ultimately it’s a minor flaw. A tiny blot on an otherwise spotless copybook. The B3 GT has a degree of compliance rare and perhaps unique among cars that will crack 60mph in 3.3sec, yet its suspension has breadth enough to cope with barrelling down a tawdry B-road without losing control of the body, if you select Sport Plus mode. There is a discernible polish to its manner.
The car also has a duality that means it will respond to heavy-handed inputs on a damp road with total traction and stability, yet it will indulge more careful drivers with delicious slithers of yaw and a natural adjustability. The GT also thrives in inclement weather, and is very much the everyday supercar.
Moreover, if the GT is as fast as an M3 in its point-to-point pace, long-distance comfort is superior to that of an M340i fitted with its M Sport springs. Alpina could have chosen to sacrifice a little rolling refinement for dynamic bite with this special edition, but most owners will probably be glad it didn’t. GT or not, in a B3, 500-mile days remain straightforward fare.
