RE: Spotted: Alpina B10 V8 S

RE: Spotted: Alpina B10 V8 S

Friday 8th February 2013

Spotted: Alpina B10 V8 S

A fine E39 M5 alternative gets Harris reminiscent about cross-continental blasts



Sytner Nottingham kindly agreed to lend me an example of the new Alpina V8S early in the summer of 2002. This was one of the better things that could happen to a chap in his late 20s, and I immediately set about busting the mileage limit enforced by its owners.

E39 interior in Alpina form is cossetting
E39 interior in Alpina form is cossetting
This meant taking the car straight to the South of France, on an overnight trip that would allow us to take advantage of the Alpina’s main advantage over an M5 on smooth European roads: the lack of a speed limiter. It would cruise quite happily at 150mph and, given enough space, would indicate 180mph. Looking back, it was probably the best car I’ve used for that trip because it was so calming, the cabin in the E39 was just spot-on and the driving position perfectly accommodated my simian proportions.

The V8S was quite a step over the standard V8. Alpina claimed 375hp, up from 340hp and 376lb ft over 346 for its predecessor. Running fast on an Autoroute, it felt every bit as powerful as the claims. We were tailing a very fast-moving, Swiss registered B5 RS4 when the car felt a little loose in a fast turn – it turned out to be a slow puncture. Muggins here thought that limping to the services and inflating it would do the trick. Only the tyre didn’t inflate as expected - instead it exploded as I leant in to listen for air escaping. I came to with busted ear-drums and the future Mrs. H wondering what on earth I was playing at.

4.6-litre V8 gives 375hp wallop
4.6-litre V8 gives 375hp wallop
Sourcing an Alpina-rated Michelin Pilot Sport on a car that has just been released with a new 19in rim is not easy.

We all know about the reduced spring rates and Bilstein dampers, and yes, they do make these B10s much more supple on British roads, but then the automatic gearbox felt pretty old back in 2002, so today it would seem decidedly antiquated. The car would also have been better with a mild LSD.

But for me the E39 B10 was an Alpina sweetspot. The shape lent itself so well to the Alpina body styling, wheels and reduced ride-height – especially the Touring. There’s lots to watch out for on these, and many people know all about them on the interweb, but by far my biggest gripe with running a B10 was bending wheels. I still have 6 buckled ones in the shed.

Lovely looking car, this blue one, though - all the more so for not having rear privacy glass.


ALPINA B10 V8S
Engine:
4,837cc V8
Transmission: 5-speed auto
Power (hp): 370
Torque (lb ft): 376
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2003
Recorded mileage: 42,010
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £16,495

See the original advert here.





Author
Discussion

pSyCoSiS

Original Poster:

3,581 posts

204 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Lovely car.

In fact, there was one on eBay just last week.

A Proper 4.6 V8 model, for £3k buy it now! (it was a 1998, pre-facelift model)

Seemed too cheap, but was sold when I had enquired.

Apparantly it had FSH and was running perfect.

Ultimate Q car bargain.... And the gentleman's M5.

Edited by pSyCoSiS on Friday 8th February 09:38

E24man

6,654 posts

178 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Nice nostalgia but the V8S is hardly 'quite a step up from the V8' as the V8 had at that time time 347bhp (not the earlier car's 340bhp) so only 7.7% increase and just 6% more torque from the V8 car's 354 lb/ft ( the devil is in the details wink ). The V8S was more special due to the firmer ride and much improved Brembo brakes over the V8 car. As for the 'antiquated' gearbox well it's as sharp to use as the current F10 530d's eight speed auto and far more useful to a driver in not having endless gears to shift through to find any engine-braking.

As for the stash of bent wheels, I'll wager they are mostly the 18's and not the 19's - the 18's seem to be made of swiss cheese when comparing the two.

Chrisw666

22,655 posts

198 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
>cough<

tyres

>cough<

simonigrale

918 posts

205 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
I worked at Sytner Nottingham from 97 to 09 so I have probably driven most Alpinas of that time. If I remember rightly the V8s had bigger brakes as well?

I once remember a collegue using a B3 3.3 E46 saloon for the night which happened to be a launch car. He hit a kerb on the way home and all the airbags deployed.

On closer inspection he had also cracked 2 rims and bent the shell !!!

The good old days !!!

andy43

9,548 posts

253 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Good point re tyres. Falkens aren't toooo bad, but at 16.5 grand, it should be Michelin'ed.
Splendid is a word very suitable for this car. Yum.
<cough> brake disc prices <cough>

Dr Interceptor

7,743 posts

195 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Chrisw666 said:
>cough<

tyres

>cough<
A common problem - the same garages 944 S2 for example is wearing Fulda Extremos!

I think Jay Kays M3 that cropped up in another thread was wearing those same boots too.

B10BRW

356 posts

220 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Great car for Autobahn munching, I had a B10 V8 with only biglaugh347 bhp for 8 years, always wanted to change to a V8S, but never got round to it.
This one is very nice, but at a very silly pricenono

Leins

9,416 posts

147 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Lovely, but not quite as lovely as an E34 B10 BiTurbo or V8 IMO

OdramaSwimLaden

1,971 posts

168 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
My old boss had one of these whilst I was running a 2001 e39 M5.

We swapped cars for a week and I was very suprised how quick and smooth it was. On a long journey it is a very very capable car. Although many who haven't driven them will claim that they are almost the same car they are in fact very different. For me the biggest difference wasn't the better suspension, smoother engine or general feel it was the fact that it just felt more special.

A sad moment when I drove past the Alpina in my 6 month old, £52k M5 thinking, looking at the Alpina, god I love that car....

Bigchiefmuffin

46 posts

201 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
I've had my B10 V8s now for 6 years - bought it second owner with 44K miles, now down 170K miles. Had a B10 3.3 and a E39 M5 before that.
The Alpina is a really lovely car - IMHO it is the sweetspot of the E39 range, which was probably the best 5 series ever. Reliable, comfortable, fast when you want it, relaxing when you don't. M5 is better at 10/10th's driving, but B10 far better the rest of the time. Finding the perfect car is a bit like finding a wife - you try out loads ( and I've owned Ferraris and Porsches in the past ) - until you find the ideal one, and then you stay with her for life.
The Alp is a bit like that - I have yet to find any other car I would replace her with.

Devil2575

13,400 posts

187 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Love it. Would like to own one.

10.

Luca Brasi

885 posts

173 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Lovely, although I'd still rather have an M5.

rtz62

3,340 posts

154 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
Have Pistonheads got shares in 4Star Classics???????

Im sorry, but IMHO all of their vehicles (and those at Oakfields) are overpriced, and I feel they are striving to push the envelope on the higest price obtained / model.

I would be happier reading about privately-offered cars, but I am an ante-diluvian philistine.....

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

167 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
rtz62 said:
I feel they are striving to push the envelope on the higest price obtained / model.
Er, isn't that their job?

m444ttb

3,160 posts

228 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
A touring model would be my ultimate daily driver near enough. Are the two genreations of B5 that follow as good? Obviously faster, but do they feel as special?

TheProfessor

158 posts

144 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
rtz62 said:
Have Pistonheads got shares in 4Star Classics???????

Im sorry, but IMHO all of their vehicles (and those at Oakfields) are overpriced, and I feel they are striving to push the envelope on the higest price obtained / model.

I would be happier reading about privately-offered cars, but I am an ante-diluvian philistine.....
I suspect that a LOT of their stock is Sale or Return, hence the inflated prices as they are adding in a significant chunk.............

BrightonEd

76 posts

160 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
There's a hell of a lot of photoshopping that goes on at 4star. And a lot of cheap tyre fitting...

Lovely car though, I think the auto's not bad either, the old steptronic box. Prefer M5 though, although the Alpina does feel a bit more bespoke.

carinaman

21,214 posts

171 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
3.2 or 3.3 manual for me please. smile

I don't have much call for an Autobahn blitzer, a sweeter steering staight 6 one would be more like a proper M5 to me.

There was a blue one on a personal plate on Autotrader the other week for £2200ish.

scarecrow

2,950 posts

234 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
I currently have a very nice e39 M5 2002 which I have owned for 2 years and absolutely think it is excellent.
however I would still like to own a V8s one day. Special and different.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 8th February 2013
quotequote all
I miss my V8, always wanted an S.

And yes, I still have a buckled wheel in the garage too, keep meaning to get it sorted out and sell it on.

There is just something so right about them, good fun on a blast but a brilliant long distance cruiser too. I always had the nagging feeling with mine that the car was faintly contemptuous of the use I was putting it to - it's really build for charging across Europe not dealing with the UKs crappy motorways.

I think were I to have another I'd want a 3.3 manual, curious to find out if the difference in the steering is as great as people suggest (6-pot cars have rack and pinion, V8s have a steering box) and also what it's like to live with a manual one as opposed to the Switchtronic auto.