[Igs]

That cake.......... looks really delicious!

Also, a very nice write up and fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[Tyrolean]

Alpinas are for special people looking for a more gentleman like M-flavor imho. They certainly are very rare in Europe, too.
Not many people know that besides cars, the company also produce wine. Look at their logo :-).

Best in this article I like Dackelones way of advertising our beautiful alpine region - our tourism bureaus should pay a bonus for the mouthwatering intros
Nice day from innsbruck, Stefan

[Orjan]

Great story and great pics! I've loved Alpinas since the first B6 2.8 I saw in 1985 - and the B4 is my current favorite. Needs to be Alpina blue with the deko set though

[Grey Dove]

Great story there David. You and Jan had a nice little trip in the Bavarian alps i see. Brings back sweet memories from days not so long ago.

[bunker]

Originally Posted by BigMacMeal

Can you do the European delivery with ALPINA vehicles?

You cannot get the Alpina 3 or 4 series in the U.S.

[JoeyBananaz18]

Originally Posted by motch

Starting to save and plan for the next one! Hopefully the next gen B4 Vert will be offered in the US for a ED sometime in 2020.
That is, if the world hasn't blown itself up by then!

Beautiful cars~

Always
Motch

As long as we have the M3/M4, BMW will never offer an alpina version of that chassis. The only reason the B7 is here is that there is no M version of the 7 available. As for the B6 GC, they probably feel that they'll move such few M6 GCs that it wont really make a dent in sales figures. No question tho, if it was on option, i would take one in a heartbeat.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Very nice write up. Unfortunately in the US we're only allowed to acquire the B7.

Originally Posted by BigMacMeal

And B6 GC.

Yes, the B6 GC is also sold in the USA. I saw an awesome looking (San Marino ?)blue B6 Grand Coupe doing ED a few months ago - at the BMW World.

Originally Posted by Paul-Bracq-BMW

Great review Dackelone ! I don't get that apart from true BMW enthusiasts, no one (not even most BMW owners) know what Alpina really is and how important the company was in developing Munich's finest race cars in the past (I'm talking about the 3.0 CSL for example).

Now Alpina is very well integrated into BMW (and are basically a BMW option since the Alpina cars are assembled in the BMW factories) and their focus is basically a "softer" take on M cars, made especially for high speed touring.

The person who gets what the Alpina are about will have the best of BMW: a car with the performance of an M, but with the ride/handling characteristic of what an M car used to be before the division started believing that stiffer suspension is better.

Note that companies that make the best handling cars, Ferrari and McLaren, still believe that a compliant suspension make a better handling car.

Some Alpina's are still made in Buchloe. The X3's and B4's I believe. At least those were the cars I saw at the factory in Buchloe two years ago. The B6 and B7's are made in Dingolfing, at BMW's factory alongside mere "mortal" BMW's.

Btw... its rumored that Alpina makes more money on their wine business than on their car business!

We visit Alpina & RUF automobiles facilities
http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1093308

Originally Posted by larryn

Dackelone You were in Regensburg and didn't stop by the historisches Wurstkuchl?

Sorry, but I had not heard of this Wurstkuchl restaurant before. Its now on my radar! Danke!! Perhaps this week or next I will go their to taste their food. I've been meaning to visit Regensburg's Christkindlesmarkt.

http://www.wurstkuchl.de/tavern.html

WoW! I just noticed this place is small with only 28 seats! Well... all I will say is I will try!

Originally Posted by motch

Starting to save and plan for the next one! Hopefully the next gen B4 Vert will be offered in the US for a ED sometime in 2020.
That is, if the world hasn't blown itself up by then!

Beautiful cars~

Always
Motch

As always just shoot me a PM if you need any help planning your next ED.

Originally Posted by ron_jeremy

Alpina's is like a good hidden secret inside BMW, very underrated.
People see an Alpina and are bashing the stripes, the rims - they really are not taking in the entire consept behind these cars.
To me, Alpina is way above M cars, as M cars are really not for me, and the entire M concept are kinda drifting these days - and i don't track my cars. What i want is a sophisticated, discrete power house in a stylish body. The Alpina is really something i want to explore more of, and the B4 is on my bucketlist as of now.
Thanks for a great writeup, and some inspiring pictures, hope you enjoyed some beer and a few of those lovely cakes.

Yes, exactly!! Alpina is - off everyone's radar. Kind of like Ruf is to Porsche. But both cars are so much more than their (car)parts. I would love to own a model of both brands - to park in my garage.

Originally Posted by Igs

That cake.......... looks really delicious!

Also, a very nice write up and fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing.

The cakes are HEAVEN at the Café Winklstüberl!! Germans will drive from Munich just for the afternoon to buy cakes to take back home or sit down for some "kaffee und kuchen". The Winklstüberl is a throw back to old cake places. That's what makes this place so wonderful. Take a look at the images on Google Maps of this place. The cakes are so delicious!

https://www.google.de/maps/place/Caf...1!4d11.9535702

Originally Posted by Tyrolean

Alpinas are for special people looking for a more gentleman like M-flavor imho. They certainly are very rare in Europe, too.
Not many people know that besides cars, the company also produce wine. Look at their logo :-).

Best in this article I like Dackelone's way of advertising our beautiful alpine region - our tourism bureaus should pay a bonus for the mouthwatering intros
Nice day from innsbruck, Stefan

Danke!

Originally Posted by Orjan

Great story and great pics! I've loved Alpinas since the first B6 2.8 I saw in 1985 - and the B4 is my current favorite. Needs to be Alpina blue with the deko set though

Yeah... the classic colors are the best! I also like the Alpina deko stripes.

Originally Posted by Grey Dove

Great story there David. You and Jan had a nice little trip in the Bavarian alps i see. Brings back sweet memories from days not so long ago.

Thanks Rudi. Your tip about the BestWestern in Ramsau was an awesome one! I love doing our summer driving tours like Sella or Stelvio. They are automotive car tours that I will always cherish!

Originally Posted by bunker

You cannot get the Alpina 3 or 4 series in the U.S.

Yes, that is correct. Only the B7 and B6 are sold in the USA. Scroll to the bottom of these links to see the Alpina models sold in the US by BMWNA.

https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/6series.html

https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/7series.html


I really think BMWNA should bring in a gasoline version of the X3 along with the B4 models. I think they would sell well.

Dackel

[m4282]

Is that 98 octane??

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by m4282

Is that 98 octane??

Yes. Our octanes are rated at MON instead of RON(like used in the USA). Basically 98 MON is the same as 93 or 94 RON octane in the USA.


Here are the octane levels we have in Germany:

. Germany - USA
Super 95 87 (regular) (5% ethanol)
Super E10 95 87 (regular) (10% ethanol)
SuperPlus 98 93 (premium) (no ethanol!)

Note: Before we got stuck with Super E10(10% ethanol) blend, we use to have just plain "regular" gas which was rated at 91, then super which was 95 octane and then SuperPlus at 98. That was all before they started to water down our gasoline about six years ago.

Some gas stations also sell a higher octanes. Like Aral's(owned by BP) Ultimate 100 octane or Shell's V-Power blend rated at 101 octane.

In some countries like Italy... you only have a choice between 95 super or Diesel. No different gasoline fuel blends/octanes. They do have a few gas stations in Italy that sell 100 or 101(Q8 or Shell) but it is quite rare to find one of those stations. Most Shell stations only have two choices. Gas or Diesel.

Dack

[SF_Ludwig]

Awesome writeup! Looking into getting a B4 after my E82 next year.

One more thing…I am working in the foundry-industry, also working with rapid prototyping, and from all I know, the Alpina I6-Block is specifically cast for Alpina in the Landshut BMW foundry. They actually use the method of lost-foam casting which makes small batch-size of castings acceptable in cost.

"it's a 4er coupe with a twin turbo six cylinder(gasoline) engine based on the N55(single turbo. Alpina uses the N55 block as its basic "lego" building block(pun intended!) and modifies it to produce [B]410 PS"

[ReeferCheefer]

So the big question is can i get these turbos mounted on my n55

[Mdrei]

Alpina is a special car that is very little understood here in the US. I did ED this summer and picked up a B6 GC Tanzanite over Champagne. What an experience and what a car compared to the M6 GC. The best class/performance package out there; way better than the M6 GC.

[m4282]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Yes. Our octanes are rated at MON instead of RON(like used in the USA). Basically 98 MON is the same as 93 or 94 RON octane in the USA.


Here are the octane levels we have in Germany:

. Germany - USA
Super 95 87 (regular) (5% ethanol)
Super E10 95 87 (regular) (10% ethanol)
SuperPlus 98 93 (premium) (no ethanol!)

Note: Before we got stuck with Super E10(10% ethanol) blend, we use to have just plain "regular" gas which was rated at 91, then super which was 95 octane and then SuperPlus at 98. That was all before they started to water down our gasoline about six years ago.

Some gas stations also sell a higher octanes. Like Aral's(owned by BP) Ultimate 100 octane or Shell's V-Power blend rated at 101 octane.

In some countries like Italy... you only have a choice between 95 super or Diesel. No different gasoline fuel blends/octanes. They do have a few gas stations in Italy that sell 100 or 101(Q8 or Shell) but it is quite rare to find one of those stations. Most Shell stations only have two choices. Gas or Diesel.

Dack

Thanks so much for this info! Very interested- while I have traveled to Europe several times I have never driven myself in the continent anywhere- always went for business or pleasure and just called a can or "pedaled" if the scenery was quaint enough. Love the pics you posted looked like an awesome trip!

[VRG_135]

Nice car. Not a fan of the wheel style, though......

[michal12]

Deckelone, do you happen to know what was the pricing/discount on this particular car?

Currently in EU, when regular BMWs are sold with 25% off sticker and Ms at 15-20% off sticker, an Alpina looks like an expensive proposition.. Unless, of course, they also do good discounts.

[Zach335i]

The pictures make the thread worth it!

[Naz24]

Beautiful car, but i'd love to see a better steering wheel, M interior, mirrors, etc. Thats what i always got hung up on with the Alpinas....

[Jadar]

Originally Posted by JoeyBananaz18

I have to be completely honest and say I've never liked the M4. I would take basically any of the M3s that came before it before I would take an M4. But I Do like the 4 series very much. Something tells me this would be perfect in my little messed up universe.

Alpina green with brown leather and gold deco stripes for me please

No I don't think it's mixed up...or I'm in that same universe or we're not alone something in those lines. I prefer the looks of a 4er M sport and the option to get x drive. I think the M4 is special but it looks strange swollen and bloated, and the sound it makes is just nonsense.

I do love the looks of the M3 and the broad sexy haunches. But I think I'll wait out the next gen car.

Back to Alpina B4..I think it's awesome that they made their own version of the N55. Such a special rare car. I wonder why they never choose to use an M sport model?

[Rock Sweden]

what kinda price premium do Alpinas carry??

[Alex@VNV-Speed]

Great post. Beautiful car. I'd be very interesting in seeing the underside of this car if anyone has the opportunity.

[P1]

The BMW is nice, but I was drooling over those cakes!

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Naz24

Beautiful car, but i'd love to see a better steering wheel, M interior, mirrors, etc. Thats what i always got hung up on with the Alpinas....

We were told that Alpina doesn't like this... but you CAN order a regular M4 leather steering wheel instead of the Alpina version. (IF you go to a dealer who knows how to "tick" the right boxes when you order the car! That was really my only gripe with the B4: the steering wheel feel and design. A real 1st world problem! lol