BMW Could Hand the Next X3 M to Alpina

Still no X3 M

It took a while for BMW to develop a fully-fledged M version of the X3, but it finally arrived in 2019. The third-generation G01 BMW X3 received M and M Competition models, and was even given a special internal code of F97. Its engine would later be used in the first release of the G80 M3 and M3 Competition, so the high-performance sedan owes a lot to the X3 M.

When it was time to retire the previous model for the current G45 X3, we expected a new generation of the hot crossover. But nearly two years have passed since its introduction, and there's still no sign of a second-generation X3 M.

Currently, there's the M50, and while its 3.0-liter turbo straight-six puts out 393 hp and 428 lb-ft, it's still quite far away from the full-on M model's 473 hp and 443 lb-ft figure, let alone the Competition's 503 hp output.

The question now is, will there be a G45-based X3 M down the line?

An Interesting Trademark Filing

While skimming through trademark databases, we came across a fairly recent filing from BMW that caught our attention. However, it wasn't 'X3 M' that we saw that the German automaker filed for registration. Instead, we saw the name XB3, indicating that Alpina might build the most powerful version of the X3.

Those familiar with Alpina's naming conventions would've broken that down by now, with X indicating a crossover model, B standing for benzine (gas/petrol), and 3 for, well, the X3. Now that Alpina is under BMW's wing, it's possible that the mothership is exploring the possibility of passing the performance crossovers to the newly acquired company.

Do note that there was also a filing for XB8, the likely successor of the slow-selling and controversial XM. It also follows Alpina's naming structure, which is why we're inclined to believe that the XB3 could effectively become the M version of the current X3.

Alpina Made a Hot X3 Before

It never made it to the U.S, but Alpina had its own take for a fast X3 for the prior two generations. It was called the XD3, and as you might have guessed, the D stood for diesel. The most recent model was powered by the Euro-market-only 3.0-liter quad-turbo diesel.

That engine was good for 383 hp and 568 lb-ft, making it far more potent than the twin-turbo X3 M40d from the same era. Considering that the previous-gen X3 was never really designed to accommodate a quad-turbo engine, it's quite impressive that Alpina made it work, at least for left-hand drive markets.

With that in mind, the possible XB3 model won't be the company's first foray into building a potent X3. The only difference now is that this could be the first gas/petrol-powered X3 the company upgrades. If so, we're expecting at least 400 hp, since the current M50 is close to that number. Interesting times, indeed, but we're hoping BMW doesn't fully turn Alpina into its performance-crossover division.

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 9:30 AM.