Post by Big Blue on Apr 23, 2017 0:33:10 GMT
Yes:it's been that long. In terms of mileage it's been 3500 in the UK plus some 1000 or so before it was first MoT'd in the UK, indicating that I hardly get in the thing for any distance. It does get used every weekend except holidays but driving it around town hardly racks up the miles. I've done almost 5k commuting on the R1 in the same period plus the E46 has done about 1200miles. We don't drive a lot.
All that is a good thing as the average is, what, 18mpg. The best I've seen is 25 on the run up to the Lakes before Easter and managed 24.8 on the way back despite a proper long chunk on the M40 baiting a Cayenne Turbo. And in all honesty, that's what I bought it for: it's a brutal mile muncher and hilariously fast. I still fail not to be amused by its ability to dial up new scenery just by pressing my right foot. OK, so it's fast on motorways but what's it like to live with?
I've had an A8 and a 500SEC in the past and they are very very comfy places to sit. I don't think the Gorilla comes quite up to their levels but it's pretty close. The main issue is a bit firmer suspension and the fact that you can feel every ripple in the road through those 20" wheels and sporty suspension. If anything it's probably better in Sport than Normal due to better body control and I've driven it in Comfort once, which tells you all you know. I haven't tried Sport+ as I reckon the roads are too busy round my way for less driving aids than a lot! In terms of equipment and seating comfort, however, it's the equal of most luxo-barges. Those air conditioned seats are now a must-have, although as has been pointed out to me they basically eliminate rear legroom behind me as the 6'2" driver.
Staying in the cabin, it swallowed our luggage easily for the trip to the Lakes (the first and thus far only big family trip) but this was aided by the fact I bought the BMW OGIO fitted luggage and I must say if you can ever justify buying fitted luggage, JFDI. In the rear the kids (both the girls and the teenaged boys) have the BMW accessory flip-down tables and an iPad on an arm between the heated seats and it has 4-zone air con although I'm trying to work out how mum in the front can be at 17 and daughter behind at 22 without some kind of air-con related disagreement. Soft close doors: I love 'em, the kids love 'em, W2.0 must like being told not to slam the doors as she does it every time and either I or T4 tell her off. Pano roof was a must have and it brightens the interior up hugely plus T5 loves the theatre of watching the screen go back. There's no engine stop-start which probably costs me 0.5mpg around town and I'm sure there's other options on the newer ones and the new model but the only thing the original owner of mine didn't spec that pisses me off is DAB radio. They ticked so many boxes that I find it hard that about €300 was a ball-breaker.
Service-wise, it had a blip with rear air suspension failure and age-related battery change and this week it's had new front brakes as the computer told me it needed them - it uses F01 7-series brakes and I was glad that Copper Thames Ditton now know my car isn't an E39 530i as the BMW service computer originally told them because that was the car I originally had my plate on (the B10 had a B10 plate). Oil use is about 1l per 1500miles, better than the 1000miles of the B10 and as expected for Alpinas. The rear tyres are already 2mm lower than the fronts but that is a good thing as I can't wait to get it on to Michelin PS as specced as opposed to the Hankooks it's been on since purchase.
So as we move to tyres, let's look at driving it. I've already pointed out it's hilariously fast, to the extent 150-180kph just arrives from 70-80kph (remember I've driven this across Germany
) and 250-260kph between Munich and Frankfurt felt nicely controlled in Normal mode. Normal mode is so good that it wasn't until last autumn that I tried Sport and wow! it really does make it a new Gorilla - like a more agile Chimpanzee in fact (staying with the Ape family). Steering feel, body control and overall driver communication all feel closer to the E39 B10 (but size and weight mean it's still not as good) and it's fun when you're on your own or with a fellow enthusiast. The brutality of the standing start acceleration, however, has elicited comments from W2.0 such as "this is a car for mad men, not those with a family" and "this makes me feel unwell" and screams of "not fast daddy" from the girls. The boys just don't seem to notice. I've enjoyed outdragging 600cc sports bikes from the lights and even litre bikes have to be on the ball. There is a downside to the 2 wheel drive-507PS combo in the wet and cold and that's why Sport+ is never used; I've had the rear end step out at relatively low speeds as the turbos chuck that 700Nm onto the floor and I guess this explains why the new B5 is a 4WD only.
It's not the kind of car you put through a handling route in the UK: it's big, brutal and fast. I'm not Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton, either so my handling kicks come from the bike (although I need a new front tyre as I've lost confidence in it for some unexplained psychological reason). It can handle its power but you need to be alert and need that extra space that's usually only available where there is no road furniture, no opposing traffic and a wide lane. I have no intention of putting it on a track so it'll remain a brutal autobahn cruiser under my stewardship. It's an iron fist in a velvet glove car as opposed to a chefs-knife-sharp rapier sword and the muted exhaust note indicates as much - it's not shouty like the AMG Mercs all seem to be.
There is one problem: I bought this after being knocked back by W2.0 on that fully-loaded Java Green E92 M3 in Competition spec and my AT garage is still full of E92 M3s - I still want one but can I justify two £30k+ cars in two years that will do 6000 miles per annum between them? Probably not but a Ferrari Scaglietti would cost me £70k so there's always man-maths to justify such insanity. So having said that about the E92 M3, after a year do I regret flying to Germany to buy a LHD car that I will most likely have to export back again to get a meaningful trade-in on either a G31 Alpina B5 or that Porsche wagon announced this year in 2020? Not in the least. I still smile at it every time I get home; it still looks more brutal than a stock F11 from some angles; the interior is a very nice place to be; there's not many cars that can live with it in a straight line or on the motorway. I still love it.
All that is a good thing as the average is, what, 18mpg. The best I've seen is 25 on the run up to the Lakes before Easter and managed 24.8 on the way back despite a proper long chunk on the M40 baiting a Cayenne Turbo. And in all honesty, that's what I bought it for: it's a brutal mile muncher and hilariously fast. I still fail not to be amused by its ability to dial up new scenery just by pressing my right foot. OK, so it's fast on motorways but what's it like to live with?
I've had an A8 and a 500SEC in the past and they are very very comfy places to sit. I don't think the Gorilla comes quite up to their levels but it's pretty close. The main issue is a bit firmer suspension and the fact that you can feel every ripple in the road through those 20" wheels and sporty suspension. If anything it's probably better in Sport than Normal due to better body control and I've driven it in Comfort once, which tells you all you know. I haven't tried Sport+ as I reckon the roads are too busy round my way for less driving aids than a lot! In terms of equipment and seating comfort, however, it's the equal of most luxo-barges. Those air conditioned seats are now a must-have, although as has been pointed out to me they basically eliminate rear legroom behind me as the 6'2" driver.
Staying in the cabin, it swallowed our luggage easily for the trip to the Lakes (the first and thus far only big family trip) but this was aided by the fact I bought the BMW OGIO fitted luggage and I must say if you can ever justify buying fitted luggage, JFDI. In the rear the kids (both the girls and the teenaged boys) have the BMW accessory flip-down tables and an iPad on an arm between the heated seats and it has 4-zone air con although I'm trying to work out how mum in the front can be at 17 and daughter behind at 22 without some kind of air-con related disagreement. Soft close doors: I love 'em, the kids love 'em, W2.0 must like being told not to slam the doors as she does it every time and either I or T4 tell her off. Pano roof was a must have and it brightens the interior up hugely plus T5 loves the theatre of watching the screen go back. There's no engine stop-start which probably costs me 0.5mpg around town and I'm sure there's other options on the newer ones and the new model but the only thing the original owner of mine didn't spec that pisses me off is DAB radio. They ticked so many boxes that I find it hard that about €300 was a ball-breaker.
Service-wise, it had a blip with rear air suspension failure and age-related battery change and this week it's had new front brakes as the computer told me it needed them - it uses F01 7-series brakes and I was glad that Copper Thames Ditton now know my car isn't an E39 530i as the BMW service computer originally told them because that was the car I originally had my plate on (the B10 had a B10 plate). Oil use is about 1l per 1500miles, better than the 1000miles of the B10 and as expected for Alpinas. The rear tyres are already 2mm lower than the fronts but that is a good thing as I can't wait to get it on to Michelin PS as specced as opposed to the Hankooks it's been on since purchase.
So as we move to tyres, let's look at driving it. I've already pointed out it's hilariously fast, to the extent 150-180kph just arrives from 70-80kph (remember I've driven this across Germany
) and 250-260kph between Munich and Frankfurt felt nicely controlled in Normal mode. Normal mode is so good that it wasn't until last autumn that I tried Sport and wow! it really does make it a new Gorilla - like a more agile Chimpanzee in fact (staying with the Ape family). Steering feel, body control and overall driver communication all feel closer to the E39 B10 (but size and weight mean it's still not as good) and it's fun when you're on your own or with a fellow enthusiast. The brutality of the standing start acceleration, however, has elicited comments from W2.0 such as "this is a car for mad men, not those with a family" and "this makes me feel unwell" and screams of "not fast daddy" from the girls. The boys just don't seem to notice. I've enjoyed outdragging 600cc sports bikes from the lights and even litre bikes have to be on the ball. There is a downside to the 2 wheel drive-507PS combo in the wet and cold and that's why Sport+ is never used; I've had the rear end step out at relatively low speeds as the turbos chuck that 700Nm onto the floor and I guess this explains why the new B5 is a 4WD only.It's not the kind of car you put through a handling route in the UK: it's big, brutal and fast. I'm not Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton, either so my handling kicks come from the bike (although I need a new front tyre as I've lost confidence in it for some unexplained psychological reason). It can handle its power but you need to be alert and need that extra space that's usually only available where there is no road furniture, no opposing traffic and a wide lane. I have no intention of putting it on a track so it'll remain a brutal autobahn cruiser under my stewardship. It's an iron fist in a velvet glove car as opposed to a chefs-knife-sharp rapier sword and the muted exhaust note indicates as much - it's not shouty like the AMG Mercs all seem to be.
There is one problem: I bought this after being knocked back by W2.0 on that fully-loaded Java Green E92 M3 in Competition spec and my AT garage is still full of E92 M3s - I still want one but can I justify two £30k+ cars in two years that will do 6000 miles per annum between them? Probably not but a Ferrari Scaglietti would cost me £70k so there's always man-maths to justify such insanity. So having said that about the E92 M3, after a year do I regret flying to Germany to buy a LHD car that I will most likely have to export back again to get a meaningful trade-in on either a G31 Alpina B5 or that Porsche wagon announced this year in 2020? Not in the least. I still smile at it every time I get home; it still looks more brutal than a stock F11 from some angles; the interior is a very nice place to be; there's not many cars that can live with it in a straight line or on the motorway. I still love it.
