New Alpina B3 Bi-Turbo
Discussion
CatherineJ said:
Mustard said:
Have looked at their wesite and found it a bit poor.Is it wasy to get hold of a price/options list?
Most Options will be as 335Ci as this is how the car will be built prior to be despatched to Alpina, Paint can be chosen as per the 'individual' programme with Special Alpina colours available, trim etc most things are possible!
CatherineJ said:
So is the bi-colour interior an option or part of the Alpina Package?
you want it they'll do it basically..... their leather work is beautifulwww.thealpinaregister.com check the classifieds for some examples
Mustard said:
CatherineJ said:
m3evo2 said:
B3 looks good
Ok so a few questions.
1. Do you have to have the lettering on the front splitter? If you have the front splitter then yes, you can normally chose between colour coded and 'Alpina' picked out to match your stripes
... an Alpina without 'Alpina' on the front skirt? Perish the thought
2. Are cars all built to order or do Sytners usually keep them in stock?
Yes as a rule though the D3 and the Z4 Roadster S were built in 'bulk'. A lot of Alpinas are normally ordered up by Sytners as 'Demos' though. Half the fun of buying a new Alpina is spec'ing it.... these are genuine bespoke gentlemans carriges
.... with the pleasure normally comes pain..... Depreciation
3. Are discounts available like on regular BM's or is that a no no? Because they are largely 'bespoke' one would assume not.... though a more attractive deal may be available on one of their 'demos', I believe you can arrange a factory collectionof a new car
Ok so a few questions.
1. Do you have to have the lettering on the front splitter? If you have the front splitter then yes, you can normally chose between colour coded and 'Alpina' picked out to match your stripes
... an Alpina without 'Alpina' on the front skirt? Perish the thought2. Are cars all built to order or do Sytners usually keep them in stock?
Yes as a rule though the D3 and the Z4 Roadster S were built in 'bulk'. A lot of Alpinas are normally ordered up by Sytners as 'Demos' though. Half the fun of buying a new Alpina is spec'ing it.... these are genuine bespoke gentlemans carriges
.... with the pleasure normally comes pain..... Depreciation3. Are discounts available like on regular BM's or is that a no no? Because they are largely 'bespoke' one would assume not.... though a more attractive deal may be available on one of their 'demos', I believe you can arrange a factory collectionof a new car
Edited by Mustard on Sunday 8th July 13:43
Mustard said:
whoami said:
and residuals have historically been awful.
All depends on the price of the new M3 I suspect, *IF* it is a fair bit cheaper, then I can see a decent market for the B3
AM V8's are creaking quite heavilyEdited by CatherineJ on Sunday 8th July 17:19
Mustard said:
whoami said:
and residuals have historically been awful.
All depends on the price of the new M3 I suspect, *IF* it is a fair bit cheaper, then I can see a decent market for the B3 AM V8's are creaking quite heavilyEdited by CatherineJ on Sunday 8th July 17:19
Mustard said:
whoami said:
and residuals have historically been awful.
All depends on the price of the new M3 I suspect, *IF* it is a fair bit cheaper, then I can see a decent market for the B3Once Sytner aren't interested - at the 3/4yr or 40K mile mark - they tend to suddenly correct themselves quite sharply. If you browse the classifieds there is distinct polarisation between almost what they cost new, and relatively cheap.
Third or fourth hand, Alpinas are a performance bargain - the depreciation curve seems to be slower later in life than the car it was based on.
The fact that they are so specialised, and that they're all automatics (something decreed by Sytners or BMW GB, everywhere else in the world you could buy an E46 B3 3.3 or 3.4 in manual version) tends to keep the market quite narrow for them.
As a result, they also seem to be affected by Spec and mileage more than a cooking BMW - with so few secondhand buyers, and those that do go for a used Alpina tend to wait and hunt around for a good one, a low spec B3 isn't the easiest thing to sell on. If you look at the E46 B3, prices fluctuate wildly, but a high spec low mileage example will always command a significant premium - a leggy poverty-spec early 99 B3 can be had for £9000 these days. But you'll pay at least 30% more for a loaded low miler of the same vintage.
For those who asked about downsides, yes, depreciation is horrendous from new but very manageable from year two. I bought my B3S Convertible at 18months thinking I'd been clever and let someone else take the hit. Haha. The problem seems to be that only real enthusiasts know what it is, so the used market is extremely restricted. I've tried the new Boxter S and Audi S4 but neighther has the delightful tactility and pure 'engineered' feel of the Alpina, especially the engine and steering. Bits are incredibly expensive from Sytner, but more reasonable from a normal BMW dealer. Hubcaps, for example, which get nicked. Another downside is the gearbox: the calibration is too agressive to make auto mode comfortable when driven anything but sedately. The manual mode, however, is brilliant and brings the car the growling, fire breathing life. Forget the silly flappy paddle whack-you-in-the-back SMG on the M3. A proper planetary gearbox with buttons is sensational and you have to hear the upchange on full throttle. Force it with the buttons around 4,000rpm and you know what music the Gods play on Olympus.
Spoke to Ged Scanlon at Sytners Nottm,he said they would get full spec and costings by the end this month,to spec they take a 10% deposit(non-refundable)
looking at around £46k which to me, seems good if compared to the M3 ????
First cars to arrive Feb/Mar.
looking at around £46k which to me, seems good if compared to the M3 ????First cars to arrive Feb/Mar.
Edited by squeezebm on Monday 16th July 12:03
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