Diesel dead? Nein

Alpina builds the world’s sexiest diesel

Here’s looking at you

BMW’s 3-series isn’t unattractive. But Alpina’s new evolution of it, the D3 S, is heart-achingly pretty, from the square-jawed splitter through the tweaked stance to the trademark 20-inch 20-spokes, which save 14kg.

A diesel that revs

Giving itself an unfair advantage from the o by adopting BMW’s 3.0-litre, twin-turbo diesel six, Alpina adds tweaked engine management and an uprated cooling system for 345bhp and a mighty 538lb ft.

Alpina’s first hybrid!

Okay, it’s baby steps and not a serious PHEV. Instead the D3 S retrains the BMW 48-volt MHEV starter/generator for modest boosting, fast ’n’ smooth engine stop-start and improved e ciency.

Saloon or Touring dreams Whether you go saloon or estate, the D3 S’s magic is likely to be the chassis tune (see almost every previous Alpina). Tweaked geometry, new Eibach springs and rear-biased xDrive tune promise greatness.

The saloon costs from £64,450 and the estate from £67,950. Cost to your conscience? Figure that one out for yourself…