took a test drive in an Alpina D3 today...
Discussion
..and left a little bit un-impressed.
The magazines have been raving about it and I'm looking for a car to replace the Mrs' SLK so I thought I'd give it a go.
It's certainly impressive to look at, the 19" wheels balancing out what is a bulky body quite well. The chassis is fantastic, great body control and an amazing good ride considering its wheel and tyre combo. BUT, I was really disappointed by the engine. Its the first time I've driven a 'performance' diesel and I didn't like the way it ran out of puff at 4500rpm, I really missed the straight-six BMW song at 6000+. Also,at idel the engine was rough enough to cause gearlever vibration, most un-BMW like.
Overall, I reckon its a car to go for only if you have to have a diesel. Hope I haven't offended any owners on here
The magazines have been raving about it and I'm looking for a car to replace the Mrs' SLK so I thought I'd give it a go.
It's certainly impressive to look at, the 19" wheels balancing out what is a bulky body quite well. The chassis is fantastic, great body control and an amazing good ride considering its wheel and tyre combo. BUT, I was really disappointed by the engine. Its the first time I've driven a 'performance' diesel and I didn't like the way it ran out of puff at 4500rpm, I really missed the straight-six BMW song at 6000+. Also,at idel the engine was rough enough to cause gearlever vibration, most un-BMW like.
Overall, I reckon its a car to go for only if you have to have a diesel. Hope I haven't offended any owners on here
Dino D said:
Mate, you run the risk of starting the 100 page plus thread when you dislike diesel on here...
For such a slow burning fuel it is a rather hot topic...look at the 535D vs some other 5 series thread to see what I mean...
For such a slow burning fuel it is a rather hot topic...look at the 535D vs some other 5 series thread to see what I mean...
Sales figures speak volumes though
on 530's Salons only 1 in 5 is Petrol
and Tourings are even worse with only 1 in 10! (according to one of the BMW mags based on last years stats)
hence may explain a slight diversification by Alpina!
pk328 said:
Also,at idel the engine was rough enough to cause gearlever vibration, most un-BMW like.
Manual or auto ? IMO any "performance " BMW diesel is best sampled in combination with an autobox. The 4500rpm "wall" you mention becomes less of an issue as the 'box is programmed to avoid running into "the wall" and change up (and thus back into the most torquey part of the rev range)
slippydiff said:
pk328 said:
Also,at idel the engine was rough enough to cause gearlever vibration, most un-BMW like.
Manual or auto ? IMO any "performance " BMW diesel is best sampled in combination with an autobox. The 4500rpm "wall" you mention becomes less of an issue as the 'box is programmed to avoid running into "the wall" and change up (and thus back into the most torquey part of the rev range)
It was a manual (I don't think it is available as an auto).
In such a relatively high state of tune, I would suspect it will take 10k miles or more to actually loosen up nicely. A demo car on low mileage is likely not to be sparkling in comparison with one which is a little older. Its a risk of course since there are no guarantee, but it SHOULD improve....
olf said:
Ashok said:
D3 is only available as a manual since the BMW autobox in the 3 series is unable to withstand the additional torque of the Alpina.
I wonder if anyone (e.g. DMS) have chipped a D3 - that might be interesting...
I wonder if anyone (e.g. DMS) have chipped a D3 - that might be interesting...
Are you sure about the torque? It's not that high.
olf said:
Ashok said:
D3 is only available as a manual since the BMW autobox in the 3 series is unable to withstand the additional torque of the Alpina.
I wonder if anyone (e.g. DMS) have chipped a D3 - that might be interesting...
I wonder if anyone (e.g. DMS) have chipped a D3 - that might be interesting...
Are you sure about the torque? It's not that high.
I've got a chipped auto 330d ('02) and the bloke at superchips quoted 480Nm (350lbft) after fettling. The D3 is quoted as 410Nm
Did 27k last year and car now on 65k, no probs whatsoever.
I had a D3 as a courtesy car and was really impressed. Almost all diesels run out of puff at higher revs but you soon learn to drive around that.
I have always been a big fan of high revving petrol engines (two M3s owned) but have grown to realise that for daily driving a diesel makes a very good case for itself and they cost soooo much less to run which is always nice!
I don't think the D3 could be chipped much higher as it already remapped by Alpina, and more power would probably make it quite 'laggy'.
I quite fancy one next TBH!
Cheers
Chris
I have always been a big fan of high revving petrol engines (two M3s owned) but have grown to realise that for daily driving a diesel makes a very good case for itself and they cost soooo much less to run which is always nice!
I don't think the D3 could be chipped much higher as it already remapped by Alpina, and more power would probably make it quite 'laggy'.
I quite fancy one next TBH!
Cheers
Chris
Did quite a few long Autobahn runs for the company over the summer and came to realise (again) that a 'performance' diesel like the D3 would be quite perfect for the job. The bonkers Saab sounds like a Spitfire at full chat, revs to infinity and beyond (for a turbo four pot) and subjectively, power keeps building all the way until the rev limiter cuts in. It storms up inclines like they aren't there, and acceleration in the 60 - 140 mph range is truly devastating. But 5,000 rpm @ 110 mph with little sound insulation would grind me down on long distances, and I would be lucky to see 200 miles on a tankful at that kind of pace. The first isn't much of an issue with more modern/sophisticated machinery, but in my experience the latter is - even a Mini Cooper S Works needed 15 l/100 km when used as a cross-continental express.
Step into a modern N/A petrol car with about 2 litres capacity or less, and while lanky gearing in top provides some measure of tranquility and reasonable economy, it's far from effortless. See the speed drop when the trajectory calls for the slightest rise in altitude, and you're faced with the decision to leave it and hope for the best, or to drop down a cog and getting in 5K territory again. Even the most modest modern diesel cars see my MINI off quite easily under those circumstances, but I drove my parents, another couple and four suitcases to the airport this weekend in their 2 litre Citroén C5 and it was hardly any better.
A nice, torquey diesel is what you want, then. Yes, I do find the usable rpm band on diesels rather narrow which is frustrating when attacking your favourite B-road (or the Nordschleife for that matter). I also like to rev the n*ts of both my petrol cars, but only when accelerating. When you have to do that just to maintain speed, suddendly it's not so alluring anymore.
Step into a modern N/A petrol car with about 2 litres capacity or less, and while lanky gearing in top provides some measure of tranquility and reasonable economy, it's far from effortless. See the speed drop when the trajectory calls for the slightest rise in altitude, and you're faced with the decision to leave it and hope for the best, or to drop down a cog and getting in 5K territory again. Even the most modest modern diesel cars see my MINI off quite easily under those circumstances, but I drove my parents, another couple and four suitcases to the airport this weekend in their 2 litre Citroén C5 and it was hardly any better.
A nice, torquey diesel is what you want, then. Yes, I do find the usable rpm band on diesels rather narrow which is frustrating when attacking your favourite B-road (or the Nordschleife for that matter). I also like to rev the n*ts of both my petrol cars, but only when accelerating. When you have to do that just to maintain speed, suddendly it's not so alluring anymore.
Edited by 900T-R on Tuesday 3rd October 12:18
Edited by 900T-R on Tuesday 3rd October 12:19
The B3 was only imported as an auto because Alpina GB had to make a call as to what would be most popular- the wiring loom would require a lot of modification for either auto or manual, and not practical to make both in RHD form given the very limited sales. In that case they figured that if folks want a manual, they'd buy an M3. The B3 is a different, more relaxed 'GT' style proposition, suited well to an auto, and the switchtronic is quite different to the standard BMW auto.
In the D3's instance, I suspect Alpina GB went down the manual route on the basis that this would be most popular.
In the D3's instance, I suspect Alpina GB went down the manual route on the basis that this would be most popular.
OK, I also did 719 kms (home from Leipzig) in 4h45' (including two fuel stops) in it. 
Cruising speed 200-220 km/h where possible; fuel level light would come on at 280-290 kms and when refueling at about 300 kms, ~45 litres went in the tank.
Even more shocking was doing near 13 l/100 km in the Mini One! Rotterdam - Calais in just over two hours, departing at 02.15 am...
Cruising speed 200-220 km/h where possible; fuel level light would come on at 280-290 kms and when refueling at about 300 kms, ~45 litres went in the tank. Even more shocking was doing near 13 l/100 km in the Mini One! Rotterdam - Calais in just over two hours, departing at 02.15 am...
Edited by 900T-R on Tuesday 3rd October 14:25
900T-R said:
OK, I also did 719 kms (home from Leipzig) in 4h45' (including two fuel stops) in it. Cruising speed 200-220 km/h where possible; fuel level light would come on at 280-290 kms and when refueling at about 300 kms, ~45 litres went in the tank.
Even more shocking was doing near 13 l/100 km in the Mini One! Rotterdam - Calais in just over two hours, departing at 02.15 am...
Cruising speed 200-220 km/h where possible; fuel level light would come on at 280-290 kms and when refueling at about 300 kms, ~45 litres went in the tank. Even more shocking was doing near 13 l/100 km in the Mini One! Rotterdam - Calais in just over two hours, departing at 02.15 am...
Edited by 900T-R on Tuesday 3rd October 14:25
I normally get 500km out of a tank on my MCS , on my regular run from Breda to Brussels i just go with the flow which is not that fast and the way the Belgians drive it is a waste of time to try and push any harder i get sub 7 lt-100km ,,,, maybe i am just not trying hard enough
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