Alpina D3 (F30) | Spotted
Driving a really long way home for Christmas? Still nothing better for the job
By Matt Bird / Monday, 18 December 2023 / Loading comments
Alpina diesels aren’t done just yet, that’s for certain. There’s currently still a lovely D3 S out there, as well as a D4, D5 and XD3. They’re still pretty fantastic, too – we called the most recent Alpina 3 Series Touring ‘the best and most desirable diesel-powered car you can buy period’. High praise indeed, and wholly justified.
But it feels like diesel could be half the price of petrol, twice as efficient and four times cleaner at the moment and it would remain out of favour. As legislators prevaricate on future fuels, so diesel sales continue to struggle. Certainly when Alpina becomes an integral part of the wider BMW empire, it’s hard to imagine many diesel cars (if any) featuring in the lineup. Given how good they have been and continue to be, that seems something of a shame, if a wholly predictable one.
Though not the first Alpina diesel, the F30 D3 era that launched a decade ago surely represented the very best of the breed. It had the undeniable appeal of a straight six, for starters; the four-cylinder D3s were interesting, and opened up Alpina to a broader audience, but they weren’t the same. For £5k on top of a 335d M Sport, D3 buyers were treated to more power and torque, of course, as well as a carefully revised chassis that brought the best out of a standard 3 Series that wasn’t quite the standard bearer many assumed it would be.
With suspension, steering and brake upgrades on top of the additional performance (plus, it should be noted now, hundreds of kilos less than a new 3 Series), the D3 was fantastic. It’s easy now to recall even fairly recent cars a little too fondly, but even in period these things were raved about: Autocar put it ahead of a contemporary M3 as an everyday sports saloon; yours truly suggested that an Alpina like this made ‘a compelling case for the ultimate do-it-all PH car’, complete with genuine 50mpg potential.
Perhaps a Touring would tick that box with even greater conviction, but it’s still hard not to swoon over a D3 saloon like this. One of the early F30s (the build plaque says it’s number 009), it’s perfectly specced in Imperial Blue with Oyster Dakota leather and the Alpina multispokes. It presents well, bar the inevitable kerbing on those glorious wheels and stone chips up front, with precious little wear inside despite almost 80k on the clock. If it’s been a motorway mile muncher, there really can’t have been anything better. The odo readout is supported by iDrive service records and receipts.
That a 10-year-old diesel 3 Series still commands £25k says a lot about how well-regarded these Alpinas are (and a bit about how strong used car prices remain). While 335ds are commonplace and will offer up a very good compact cruiser experience, there really is nothing to rival an Alpina – however it’s fuelled – for sports saloon supremacy. Don’t be surprised if that 78k tally rockets up very quickly indeed – this diesel will do very nicely indeed.
SPECIFICATION | ALPINA D3
Engine: 2,993cc straight-six, twin-turbocharged diesel
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 350@4,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@1,500-3,000rpm
0-62mph: 4.6 seconds
Top speed: 173mph
MPG: 53.3 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 139g/km
Year registered: 2013
Recorded mileage: 78,000
Price new: £46,950 (as standard, 2013)
Yours for: £24,475
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