The FIA GT3 European Championship is fast shaping up to be one of the most prestigious racing series on the FIA calendar. Recently the championship has attracted German tuner Alpina out of a 20 year racing hiatus. Alpina enters the FIA GT3 with its B6 GT3 racer which will compete with cars from manufacturers like Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin. The Alpina B6 GT3 is a race car based on the current BMW 6 Series. The good news is that it is also available for sale to the public. What these lucky people would be getting is a light-footed sports racer with a low centre of gravity. It runs on 18-inch Michelin wheels and weighs 1,350kg (2,976 lbs). It's fitted with a 4.4-litre V8 engine that is force-fed by a supercharger in order to discharge 530PS (390kW) and 725Nm of torque. A 6-speed sequential gearbox is included. The Alpina GT3 is capable of blasting from 0 - 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds and has recorded a top speed of 285km/h at the Nordschleife. Alpina is currently in negotiations with several personalities in motorsport in order to fill up the four driving seats available in its team. Customer teams will also be able to race the car in places like Belgium and Germany and other long-distance races. Before it takes to famous race tracks the public will be able to view it at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March where it will be debut next to the all-new Alpina B7.
Alpina B6 GT3 in Geneva ALPINA will be returning to the track for the first time in 20 years to race in the FIA European GT3 championship. And they will be bringing their new BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 to compete against the likes of GT3 racers from Aston Martin, Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari. Based on the BMW 6-Series, the B6 GT3 touring car racer features a 4.4 liter V8 with a sizzling 530 hp and 725 Nm of torque achieved by means of radial compression - a technology nicked from the BMW ALPINA B6 S road car. "Due to the low centre of gravity, it feels more like a Formula race car than a Touring Car," says test driver Andreas Bovensiepen in the ALPINA press release. The car is currently undergoing testing while preparing for the 2009 racing season and has made a stop at the Geneva auto show for its first public outing. The BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 will also be made available for other racing teams and will compete in additional circuits including national GT3 races in Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium and Brazil, the VLN endurance series at Nürburgring, and several 24-hour endurance competitions. Press Release Successfully Launched: The ALPINA B6 GT3 After a 20-year hiatus, ALPINA celebrate their return to racing with the BMW ALPINA B6 GT3, to compete in the FIA European GT3 championship - a relatively new racing series in which 12 renowned automotive brands, such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche, compete. Based on the BMW 6 Series, ALPINA have developed a competitive weapon for touring-car racing that will be offered to clients, collectors and race teams alike. Furious forward pace is provided by the 4.4-litre V8 with radial compressor, taken from the BMW ALPINA B6 S. It yields 530 horsepower and 725Nm of torque. Just a few days ago, upon completion of the first BMW ALPINA B6 GT3, the roll-out of B6 GT3 took place. The race car debuted in freezing temperatures, yet mastered its first 300km brilliantly. "We were surprised by how free of problems this maiden shake-down went," commented ALPINA Proprietor Andreas Bovensiepen, who split driving duties with Claudia Hürtgen. "Due to the low centre of gravity, it feels more like a Formula race car than a Touring Car," said Andreas, summing up his first positive impressions.The next tests are scheduled for this week in France, before the B6 GT3 makes its first public appearance at the Salon d'Automobile in Geneva in early March.ALPINA will field two race cars in the FIA GT3 European Championship, and negotiations with interesting auto-racing personalities intended to fill the four race seats are on-going.Race cars are planned for customer race teams, and will compete in the FIA GT3 European Championship, as well as in national GT3 races in Belgium, Brazil, Germany, England, France and Italy. The VLN-sanctioned endurance series at the Nürburgring is also planned, as well as selected 24-hour endurance races.
