NICE car here for bmw fans ...
- Thread starter rippling
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Associate
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See that exact car quite a lot around here 
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Soldato
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Lots and Lots of cream leather! Not a fan of the exterior colour though.
Soldato
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I'm a fan of BMW's but the Alpinas have never floated my boat, mainly due to being based on SE spec and have eccentric coloured stitching.
I do so wish they were not SE based. I understand why but if they had done a B10 based on the 530i Sport instead of the 528i SE then I'd buy one immediatly. The 3.4 engine in an E39 would be absolutely sublime. It actually drops straight in, sadly finding one for sale is very difficult.
Soldato
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Clear something up for me. Do Alpina/AC Schnitzer etc cars come with BMW warranty, or their own warranty?
If something goes wrong within the first 3 years of brand new ownership, who replaces the part? BMW or Alpina/AC Schnitzer etc.
If something goes wrong within the first 3 years of brand new ownership, who replaces the part? BMW or Alpina/AC Schnitzer etc.
Although I know you are joking, for trivia sake none of the Alpina 6 cylinder engines will fit easily into a facelift E39. The 3.3 litre engine was based on the older M52. It's an easy swap into an M52 powered car but all the facelift 6 pots are M54 powered, a more modern engine with drive-by-wire etc.
The M54 based Alpina engine is the 3.4S - but it never made it into the E39, instead being found only in the E46 Alpina B3S and the Z4 based Alpina Roadster S.
So, if you've a 528i you can drop a 3.3 in quite easily, but if you've a 530i you need a 3.4. I've only ever seen one for sale - they want £4000 for it and have done for months. It's obviously not worth that, but alas the market isn't awash with others to highlight how bonkers the asking price is.
I'd seriously consider it if they were sub £2k.
Alpina's have never floated my boat really, i think its the wood trim combined with the lairy stitching on the seats.
I was once tempted by a very tidy e24 B9, but the seller knew what he had and wasnt budging on price
Shame really, they are worth decent money these days!
I was once tempted by a very tidy e24 B9, but the seller knew what he had and wasnt budging on price
Shame really, they are worth decent money these days!They dont tend to make slow cars... (Crappy 4 pot diesel range excepted).
[TW]Fox;20959064 said:
Interesting then that Alpina continued to fit this engine into facelifted B10s up to 2003, while they were already puting the 3.4 engine into the B3s. Missed opportunity there.
I like the B10s in general, but I would rather have one of the 4.8 litre V8S models. Couldn't find any when I was looking (that didn't have a bright red interior), so settled on the M5.
I reckon you made the right choice to be honest, from what i hear parts for the b10's can be scarily expensive!
The e39 M5 is a superb car in every way. A friend of mine owns CPC engineering who look after loads of them and he cant rate them highly enough, he even has one himself.
I'd love a B12 e38, but never particularly liked the other Alpinas tbh, I suppose a blast in the said B12 when at the time I had a 728i kind of hooked me.....
Trouble is, try finding A: a B12 for sale & B: one that you'd actually want to buy.....
Trouble is, try finding A: a B12 for sale & B: one that you'd actually want to buy.....
Ah yes, I have heard very good things about your friend. Had I lived closer to him no doubt he would be looking after mine aswell
R420 - I'd certainly buy this B12 if that's what I was after. It looks fantastic: http://www.4starclassics.com/alpina-b12-750i-for-sale/