In the hallowed halls of Gear Patrol, you’ll occasionally hear a whimper, nay, more of a subdued weeping, when we get wind of a car that appeals to our senses that we’ll never be able to get here in the states. The BMW Alpina XD3 Bi-Turbo is an SUV we can get behind (but not behind the wheel of).
The Alpina division of BMW enhances performance and tweaks aesthetics; in the case of the XD3 Bi-Turbo, Alpina boosted the standard XDrive35d’s 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel’s 313 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque to 350 hp and 516 lb-ft, laying the groundwork for a 0-60 run in the high fours. And with all this power comes responsibility to the tune of 34.5 mpg. You can roast rubber and save the planet, too.
Alpina also does up their signature blue paint and adds 20-inch turbine wheels, quad exhaust pipes, two-tone sport seats and blue-green contrast stitching throughout the cabin. Additional performance enhancements come in the form of an eight-speed ZF transmission, electronically adjustable dampers, and a new exhaust manifold — all with the goal of providing an SUV that performs even better than the original. Just keep in mind that you have to live in Europe to get a hold of one of these. You can cry now.