Finally Saw The Alpina D3...

emzino

emzino

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WOW! Was on my way to work and low & behold, going around the round about on a dual carriage was a blue Alpina D3. It looked SPANKINNNNN!

I fell in love with it and my gosh it wasn't hanging around neither lol. I tried to catch up with it to get a closer look but just couldn't keep up until we slowed down.

It was just right: the alloys, the little spoiler, it's stance, body kit etc etc. I gotta have, that's all there is to it. I gotta have it... :hubbahubba:
 
Defratos said:
What's an Alpina D3? I'm guessing some sort of a Bemer?
Click to expand...

Yeah, its a BMW 320d saloon that Alpina (BMW's tuning arm like Merc's AMG arm) have got their hands on and slapped some 19's and a bodykit, tuned the engine up to 197bhp & slapped some £4k on the price tag.

Its still a piggin' ugly BMW 3-series saloon though!!
 
Play nicely Nicky...

To be honest ALL 3 series in any guise (M series included) are 'piggin' ugly' !!

lol
 
Nickynibbles said:
Yeah, its a BMW 320d saloon that Alpina (BMW's tuning arm like Merc's AMG arm) have got their hands on and slapped some 19's and a bodykit, tuned the engine up to 197bhp & slapped some £4k on the price tag.
Click to expand...

Not stricly true, you need to compare it to the M Sport version of the 3 series and then they haven't slapped £4k on...
 
audi upgrades
Correct, MB.
A standard M-sport is only something like £200 cheaper than a D3.
But the D3 comes with 19" alloys and metallic paint free.
Add those to an M-sport, and you're better off with the D3.
The D3 is also 23bhp more powerful.
Bit of a no-brainer, really.
The only 'negative' with the D3 is that they come in one spec.
You can spec them up, but it's a £2000 surcharge on top of the options.
They're hardly poverty spec as standard though, they come with everything I need.
I think I'm getting mine this week, I'l post some photos.
Better do it at the dealer, coz it'll be filthy by the time I get home...
 
FWIW, Alpina have stated there probably will be a new D3 in 2009, using BMW's twin-turbo diesel that puts out 204bhp standard (currently only available in the 1 series).
I suppose, with Alpina mods, you'd be looking at around 230bhp?
I can already envisage going for one of these, when the 3 year lease on my imminent D3 ends.
 
As a general rule of thumb, I was always led to believe that forced induction engines when re-mapped give you between 20-30% increase in power and torque.

Therefore the current 170bhp model will give you c200bhp when remapped. The newer model with 204bhp will therefore give you c230-240bhp, maybe even a little more with a custom jobby.

Not too shabby at all. Similar therefore to a 3.0tdi (233bhp in the A4 and A6 - 240bhp in the A5 ?) 0-62 in low 6s...?

Nice. Almost as quick as a standard S4 (0-62 in 5.7s), but will give you 40-45mpg...

Not sure how quick an A4 2.0 tdi (170) when re-mapped compares with those figures. Back once again to Audi's diesel technology lagging BMW's...

:(
 
When I was getting a test drive of a D3, there was a bloke in with a 170bhp A4.
He was looking at the D3 too.
Sitting side-by-side, the BMW engine was markedly quieter than the A4.
The new A4 diesel will probably be better, but it's only coming out with a paltry 143bhp to start with.
 
That's especially ugly, even for a beemer. It's got a big **** and it's nose is too small, totally unbalanced, looks like an elephant has sat on the bonnet.
 
Don't get many elephants around Kent, so i'll be alright
 
Isn't it like £25k+?

Just seems very pricey for 197 diesel horses! But then compaed to a 170 tdi a3.......?
 
I suppose an A3 owner will think an Alpina is ugly, given that the A3 is about as bland as you can get...
 
simch said:
Isn't it like £25k+?

Just seems very pricey for 197 diesel horses! But then compaed to a 170 tdi a3.......?
Click to expand...

£28350.00
Very, very fair price for the power, quality and exclusivity.
Very easy to spec an A4 to that money, and you won't have 200bhp or exclusivity.
 
Having owned both an Audi and a BMW, i can say they both have their qualities, I actually prefer the BM I have at the moment, but its not really fair to compare a 530 with an A4. Not very subjective.
 
I LOVE my A3 but I can still apprecaite a well made car. The D3, is a well made car and just as I was putting the pictures up of the D3 I realised something, it looks 100 times better in the flesh - take my word for it!
 
I'm not much of a BMW fan, but if I was to buuy one, a D3 certainly fits the bill! The touring model that's not too far from me is certainly a looker in the metal finished in Black, and because they are not so common, they have high residuals also, and usually enthusiast owned, so usually well kept.
 
It's mutton dressed as .. er. mutton.

It just looks like a 3 series with a splitter and big wheels.. and the three series is an awful looking car anyway..

*marriedblonde.. you're right i don't like beemers, but you're z4 shaped thing, even looks better than this!*

And Bowfer, yeah the a3 is a pretty bland looking car, but it cost 2k i'm a student.. i'd have an alfa 147 if they were cheaper to insure.
 
I like it, the new 3 series to me isn't the greatest looking car, but the design language kind of grows on you. My aunt bought an 18 month old M-sport diesel and in the flesh they do look better. I think the Alpina is a lot better looking than the standard car - look forward to seeing the pics when yours arrives bowfer..... if the 240bhp one does come later down the line, now that would be very interesting prospect........
 
marriedblonde said:
Your talking to the converted...
Click to expand...

Hehe here all the details of the D3 over time, it is an impressive machine. Bowfer has certainly done some undercover salesman work there lol.

Na I still love my 4rings =) Audi A5 3.0TDI Quattro is my aim!
 
Can the chrome moustache be easily removed? And while they are doing that get rid of the front alpina sticker too. But yes looks ok,
Everyone has different like and dislikes.
 
I love the shape of the coupe's (especially the 335i) but I'm afraid the D3 (along with the other saloons) just doesn't do it for me and with Alpina, they always look tacky after a couple of years or miles...which ever comes first!

Having said that, it’s supposed to be a decent car with a good chassis so I’m sure you wont be disappointed…I just can’t help but think all the 330 and 335d drivers will be laughing at you though!
 
Bearing in mind this is an Audi forum it dosent surprise me there's people giving the D3 some grief! For me the current saloon model 3-series just dosent do it style wise for me. Yes they have always been a good drive when in the dry and "interesting" in the wet and still are from what I hear! I just cant forgive the back end for being pig ugly, when the coupe version is much much better! The preceeding 3-series models have all been much better looking all round, but the last few years have seen BMW styling losing its edge for me, whereas Audi have gone from strength to strength. Just my opinion.
 
Always hated Beemers, only one I half like is the M5's from a looks point of view, I dont get on with RWD either. I fail to see what all the fuss is about with BMW
 
Yeah man, that must be it!

I dont bite to easy dude, this is a chilled little fishy :)
 
james0808 said:
:lmfao:
Whats that they say about a bad workman blaming his tools.
Learn some driving skills and you might like RWD.
Click to expand...

Ice Ice Baby...

Spent a winter driving a 335d Coupe in a very cold, icey, snowy part of Germany, never thought £30k+ car could turn over night into a £30k+ car with the road handling and grip of a Red Cross charity bin.

If only you were there to impart some of your driving skills...

IMO, RWD cars have lots of advantages over FWD, but day to day normal driving I think its just a pain in the *** if the driving conditions become a bit wet/icey/anything that isnt warm and dry.

Saw a silver D3 today with personalised number plate beginning with D3, also saw a blue one yesterday, would have to say not only is the silver a better colour but they are getting rather common... ;D
 
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