BWM B10 Alpina
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I previously asked the question "Subaru WRX STI or Audi RS6?" in the general gassing forum but a good friend of mine threw a bit of a curveball asking if I had considered the above car.... I hadn't but I had seen a couple over the last few years and really liked the "large but bloody quick" reputation they hold.
I am looking at having about £10-£12k to spend and wondered if this was a good idea.
Cheers
Rob
I previously asked the question "Subaru WRX STI or Audi RS6?" in the general gassing forum but a good friend of mine threw a bit of a curveball asking if I had considered the above car.... I hadn't but I had seen a couple over the last few years and really liked the "large but bloody quick" reputation they hold.
I am looking at having about £10-£12k to spend and wondered if this was a good idea.
Cheers
Rob
I'll go first, then. You've got 4 basic models to choose from: 3.2 or 3.3 6 cylinder, manual or auto; 4.6 or 4.8 V8 auto only. Saloon or rarer estate. Earliest will be a '97 model, & cheap as chips, by now, but probably a bit tired. Latest will be an '03 reg, a 3.3 or a V8S (4.8). Your budget should get you maybe 3 or 4 rough 3.2s, or one pretty excellent V8S. Service wise, pretty much the same as any e39, excepting Alpina tax on the specific parts (suspension, brakes on the V8S, wheels & trim. They're not really equivalent to either the Subaru or the Audi. They're not really b*lls out quick, more long distance cruisers & they're 10 years old now. The Audi match would normally be the M5, I guess. The trick will be finding a good one...
Your price range will get you pretty much all the range of E39 B10's that are available apart from a very few.
As for quick the V8's (especially the V8S) are as quick across country and on the autobahn as an E39 M5, having tested the theory in practice, which I know surprised a number of guys I was driving with at the time. Also did not help that it was a Touring!!
They are a more laid back alternative to an E39 M5 and at a higher limit on the road I would say that they give away very little. Although I think the softer bias does make them less extreme at the limit and less suited to regular track driving, that is not to say that they are not fun on the track. They are much more of a road car than a track one where as the E39 M5 is also a pretty good/fun track car.
I only have everyday experience with the V8S and the auto allows, in switchtronic mode - i.e. manual control of gears and shifting - full engine braking and also holding the gear to the red line. In fact apart from low speed maneuvering such as parking I use the car in manual mode all the time.
Parts/Service costs are pretty much the same as a E39 540 apart from as mentioned before the Alpina specific parts but I would use a specialist rather than a main dealer.
I will mention it before anyone else does the V8S brakes are expensive to replace, but they do last a long time even with spirited driving. But the maintenance costs are a great deal less than my previous E34 M5.
In town they are excellent with the auto transmission really being an asset to town driving. But they are also brilliant on A and B roads as the switchtronic transmission and the suspension is amazing soaking up the bumps while also allowing you to have a huge amount of fun.
They are great cars and often underestimated.
Having owned one for over 5 and a half years I can say that it is one of the most complete and balanced cars around and offering pretty good value for money.
If you have any more specific questions as an owner feel free to post and I will try and answer them.
As for quick the V8's (especially the V8S) are as quick across country and on the autobahn as an E39 M5, having tested the theory in practice, which I know surprised a number of guys I was driving with at the time. Also did not help that it was a Touring!!
They are a more laid back alternative to an E39 M5 and at a higher limit on the road I would say that they give away very little. Although I think the softer bias does make them less extreme at the limit and less suited to regular track driving, that is not to say that they are not fun on the track. They are much more of a road car than a track one where as the E39 M5 is also a pretty good/fun track car.
I only have everyday experience with the V8S and the auto allows, in switchtronic mode - i.e. manual control of gears and shifting - full engine braking and also holding the gear to the red line. In fact apart from low speed maneuvering such as parking I use the car in manual mode all the time.
Parts/Service costs are pretty much the same as a E39 540 apart from as mentioned before the Alpina specific parts but I would use a specialist rather than a main dealer.
I will mention it before anyone else does the V8S brakes are expensive to replace, but they do last a long time even with spirited driving. But the maintenance costs are a great deal less than my previous E34 M5.
In town they are excellent with the auto transmission really being an asset to town driving. But they are also brilliant on A and B roads as the switchtronic transmission and the suspension is amazing soaking up the bumps while also allowing you to have a huge amount of fun.
They are great cars and often underestimated.
Having owned one for over 5 and a half years I can say that it is one of the most complete and balanced cars around and offering pretty good value for money.
If you have any more specific questions as an owner feel free to post and I will try and answer them.
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