Older Alpina's...why so cheap ?
Discussion
Looking at b3 2.5 manuals (94) and b10 3.3 (98), these seem cheap at about £2k and £4k respectively
How come?
I appreciate insurance, fuel, running costs, but aren't they very low volume, niche sports saloons/coupes !!!
Or are the e36 or e39s not that desirable, folk rave about the e39 so surely the alpina would be more sort after?
I kept my eye on a grey e39 b10 manual, norfolk area, was for sale for months
Please....educate me.....
How come?
I appreciate insurance, fuel, running costs, but aren't they very low volume, niche sports saloons/coupes !!!
Or are the e36 or e39s not that desirable, folk rave about the e39 so surely the alpina would be more sort after?
I kept my eye on a grey e39 b10 manual, norfolk area, was for sale for months
Please....educate me.....
r4_rick said:
Looking at b3 2.5 manuals (94) and b10 3.3 (98), these seem cheap at about £2k and £4k respectively
How come?
I appreciate insurance, fuel, running costs, but aren't they very low volume, niche sports saloons/coupes !!!
Or are the e36 or e39s not that desirable, folk rave about the e39 so surely the alpina would be more sort after?
I kept my eye on a grey e39 b10 manual, norfolk area, was for sale for months
Please....educate me.....
you did ask How come?
I appreciate insurance, fuel, running costs, but aren't they very low volume, niche sports saloons/coupes !!!
Or are the e36 or e39s not that desirable, folk rave about the e39 so surely the alpina would be more sort after?
I kept my eye on a grey e39 b10 manual, norfolk area, was for sale for months
Please....educate me.....
it is sought after r4_rick said:
jas xjr said:
you did ask it is sought after
Okay ! Guilty as charged ! it is sought after The Alpina with the very expensive front brakes is the E39 B10 V8S, the 4.8 litre car rather than the 4.6 litre B10 V8. This is because the the V8S is almost unique in the Alpina range in having a bespoke Brembo set-up with no after market disc or pad suppliers yet found - Alpina has publicly stated they won't make this mistake again. The V8 car has very affordable 540i front brakes.
Early rhd Alpina's (up to about 1995) were almost exclusively made under license by firstly TWR then Sytner and unfortunately an individual car's history and identification is paramount when buying to ensure you are getting the correct car. From about 1995 Sytner stopped making cars up and all cars were made at the Alpina factory in Buchloe.
Sytner also confused the system by making some cosmetic only models which were never offered by Alpina themselves; the E34 and E32 B3.5 and the very rare E31 B5.0. These look the same as the Alpina full conversion cars (the E34 B10 3.5, E32 B11 3.5 and E31 B12 5.0) but lack any suspension, transmission or engine modifications.
Hidden in this mess is the E36 B2.5 which many believe, due to Sytner's numbering system, is another cosmetic 'special' but in fact has Alpina camshafts, ECU and exhaust to give it a greater than 10% power increase over the 325i it is based upon. It also received the cosmetic bits; wheels, spoiler, steering wheel, gearknob and plaque; but depending on whether it was based on a coupe or saloon depends on whether it received Alpina suspension (coupes generally had M-Tec suspension and were left with that, saloons generally received the Alpina kit instead of the standard suspension).
The E39 B10 3.2 and 3.3 have performance figures very close to that of the 540i but the B10 V8 and V8S cars are very close to the E39 M5. The E39 M5 is ultimately the fastest E39 and has to be the choice if you choose to drive at 10/10ths but the V8/V8S cars offer at least 9/10ths of the performance.
A common myth is that the V8 and V8S cars are not as nice to drive as the manual B10 3.3 or the M5 cars as they were only offered as an 'automatic'. This myth fails to take account of the completely different Switch-Tronic system, torque-convertor and gearbox that Alpina fitted to the V8/V8S and two people in the last year who were deliberating over an M5 or B10 V8 have chosen the Alpina after just a short drive in my B10 V8 Touring. The torque convertor has a lock-up in every gear, the gearbox shifts way quicker than the standard BMW steptronic, the gear ratios are different and better chosen, and the Switch-Tronic system is easily as good as paddle systems fitted to cars being built today.
Early rhd Alpina's (up to about 1995) were almost exclusively made under license by firstly TWR then Sytner and unfortunately an individual car's history and identification is paramount when buying to ensure you are getting the correct car. From about 1995 Sytner stopped making cars up and all cars were made at the Alpina factory in Buchloe.
Sytner also confused the system by making some cosmetic only models which were never offered by Alpina themselves; the E34 and E32 B3.5 and the very rare E31 B5.0. These look the same as the Alpina full conversion cars (the E34 B10 3.5, E32 B11 3.5 and E31 B12 5.0) but lack any suspension, transmission or engine modifications.
Hidden in this mess is the E36 B2.5 which many believe, due to Sytner's numbering system, is another cosmetic 'special' but in fact has Alpina camshafts, ECU and exhaust to give it a greater than 10% power increase over the 325i it is based upon. It also received the cosmetic bits; wheels, spoiler, steering wheel, gearknob and plaque; but depending on whether it was based on a coupe or saloon depends on whether it received Alpina suspension (coupes generally had M-Tec suspension and were left with that, saloons generally received the Alpina kit instead of the standard suspension).
The E39 B10 3.2 and 3.3 have performance figures very close to that of the 540i but the B10 V8 and V8S cars are very close to the E39 M5. The E39 M5 is ultimately the fastest E39 and has to be the choice if you choose to drive at 10/10ths but the V8/V8S cars offer at least 9/10ths of the performance.
A common myth is that the V8 and V8S cars are not as nice to drive as the manual B10 3.3 or the M5 cars as they were only offered as an 'automatic'. This myth fails to take account of the completely different Switch-Tronic system, torque-convertor and gearbox that Alpina fitted to the V8/V8S and two people in the last year who were deliberating over an M5 or B10 V8 have chosen the Alpina after just a short drive in my B10 V8 Touring. The torque convertor has a lock-up in every gear, the gearbox shifts way quicker than the standard BMW steptronic, the gear ratios are different and better chosen, and the Switch-Tronic system is easily as good as paddle systems fitted to cars being built today.
E24man said:
TheAngryDog said:
While I like and respect the B10, for me I'd of always wanted an M5.
I guess it's different horses for different courses. I adore my M5. Not sure I'd feel the same about a B10
It's exactly that.I guess it's different horses for different courses. I adore my M5. Not sure I'd feel the same about a B10
Drive a B10 V8 though - you might be very surprised
There is an E36 B6 2.8 on gummytree; it's performance is a fair bit more than a B2.5 at 235bhp/215lb/ft against 212bhp/188lb/ft bringing the 0-60 dash down from 6.8 to 6.2. The next E36 step up would be a B3 3.0 at 241bhp/227lb/ft.
If you like E34's there is a rare-ish Alpina Green B10 3.5 with Alpina cloth seats up for sale as well.
If you like E34's there is a rare-ish Alpina Green B10 3.5 with Alpina cloth seats up for sale as well.
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