BMW Alpina D3-any thoughts?
 

Specifically the touring...
Have been looking at buying a 335d for a while,but the sums just dont add up for what I would be using it for.With the costs involved and the high price of diesel,its just doesn't make sense and i was moving back to my thoughts of buying a new STi.
Anyway, i stumbled across the D3 and it seems like a possible alternative.Am aware though,that matteeboy mentioned that all that glistens isn't gold when it came to Alpinas and spec levels,so has anyone any knowledge of them-07 onwards...
Hoping that they are a good alternative to the 330/335 with some nice tuning potential:norty: or are they just a 320 with a few bolt-ons?
Google Image Result for http://www.alpina.co.jp/images/modelpages/b3_biturbo_touring_allrad/b3_biturbo_touring_allrad.jpg

They've got a good engine.
That's all I can really say about them.

We looked at getting one when they first came out but the poverty spec put us off.
That, and the £2k surcharge on any options you wanted adding.

As you say, a 320d with a breathed on engine and a few body add-ons.

All IMO, obviously.

I strongly doubt they'll offer "tuning potential" close to a 330d, let alone a 335d. Kicking out about 200bhp/300lbft from a breathed on 2L 4 pot diesel (the 06 one Evo had was a 320d with bigger turbo, intercooler, injectors and map) probably doesn't leave a lot of headroom - the basic 320d will map to perhaps 210bhp/340lbft.

The newer 330d has 240bhp out of the box (I seriously doubt you'll sensibly tune a D3 to this level), and IIRC can be tuned to deliver similar poke to a 335d. Plus it's a 6 cylinder engine with the added smoothness, nicer noise etc.

Hmmm,i see what you mean about the 'special order' issue with the spec.More research i think :wonder: