Alpina finally got SUVed

The temptation proved too attractive to pass. And Alpina basically admits that:

"Besides the core competence of developing a small but fine selection of exclusive [...] automobiles [...], Alpina is also in a position of responding to very specific customer demands."

So an SUV is not part of the core of Alpina - but hey, people buy these things in huge numbers, so here you go. All the rest of the statement reads similar, nearly defensive and saying "sorry, fans, it is a new world, get used to it". The owner and CEO Bovensiepen is basically confirming that in their Alpina promotion.

What did they do? Alpina transplanted the superb V6 Bi-Turbo D5 Diesel engine (remember this post) into the X3, add a few Alpina design spices inside and out - et voilà, the first Alpina truck: hello BMW Alpina XD3 Biturbo. And it does sound good for a Diesel, check the video below.

Alpina, we forgive you. People will buy the XD3, no doubt. The money is too good. But please, Mr Bovensiepen, what about a 5 GT Alpina? (I know, it is probably a bit late for that one). Or what about the new 3 GT? And of course the 4 door coupes, the 1, 2, 4 series and 6 Gran Coupe (which really makes much more sense than a similar M6)... I wonder how many models Alpina could digest and which ones they pick? They certainly could do with a few more. At least the B3 Biturbo including the estate is already out.

for life style people:

for true enthousiasts:

oh, and dear Alpinistas, get rid of that background music or at least lower the volume.

Saab 9-3 Phoenix - DOA and weird

The 9-3 replacement apparently would have been launched in 2014. Google "Saab 9-3 phoenix" and you get the idea. Among the best images of what the 9-3 Phoenix would have looked like can be found on Jalopnik:

• front view including very interesting comments of Jason Castriota, who designed the car
• rear view

Saab fans seem to love the design, I am left puzzled. And I can't put my finger on exactly why. I like the slight awkwardness of the proportions - very saabish. But somehow also wrong, a bit squeezed. Stretch the whole car in length and it would look better. Alternatively imagine the car a tad lower (especially the "shoulder") and it might also improve the look.

The rear light arrangement is a bit too conservative, why not slimming the rear lights a bit more?

I like the fact that the rear end is lower than the front, very 99 / 900. But I can't help thinking, that the whole design looks unfinished, lacks a bit of elegance.

BTW I didn't add any picture, because I am not sure if we would infringe copyright. The images on Jalopnik have a watermark copyright claim by Jason Castriota Design LLC, though I couldn't find them on the company's website.

There is also lots of interesting info on SAABSUNITED

Same Difference - M5 vs M6 Gran Coupé (vs M6 Coupe vs M6 Cabrio)

Both 4-door versions are like fraternal twins. Engine, wheelbase everything the same. Except that the Gran Coupé is lower, wider and more sexy. Even more so than the "nearly identical" 2-door M6 siblings, me thinks.

Trivia:

Surprising differences. The maximum permissible weight of the M6 is 60kg lower than the 3 quadruplet sisters.

Despite being longer, BMW claims that the Gran Coupe is just 5kg heavier than the M5 and 25kg than the M6 Coupe. This negligible weight difference between all 3 fixed roof versions is really surprising...

BMW claims that the acceleration of the two M6 coupes is two tenths faster than the M5, and one tenth faster than the Cabrio...yeah, sure.

And last but not least, the price difference between the 4-door and the 2-door coupé is rather academic, because the Gran Coupe gets 20" wheels for which the old-fashioned Coupé customer needs to pay nearly two grand more.

Check out the related posts:
F11 diesel estates - BMW Alpina D5 Touring vs BMW M550d Touring
F10 petrol super sedans  BMW M5 vs BMW Alpina B5

	BMW M5	M6 Gran Coupé	M6 Coupé	M6 Cabrio
Prices EUR Mar 2013 GERMANY incl VAT	103,300	128,800	124.000	131.400
Dimensions
Length (mm)	4910	5011	4898
Width (mm)	1891	1899
Height, unladen (mm)	1456	1393	1374	1372
Wheelbase (mm)	2964		2851
Track, front (mm)	1627	1631
Track, rear (mm)	1582	1612
Ground Clearance (mm)	117	107	106	107
Fuel tank capacity (l)	80
Weight
Unladen (kg) EU norm (DIN norm)	1870 (1945)	1875 (1950)	1850 (1925)	1980 (2055)
Max permissible (kg)	2410		2350	2410
Permitted load (kg)	540	535	500	430
Max axle load, front (kg)	1180			1200
Max axle load, rear (kg)	1260		1220	1260
Max trailer load, braked (kg)	2000	-
Max trailer load, unbraked (kg)	750	-
Engine
Cylinders	V8 90°
Capacity (cc)	4395
Bore (mm)	88.3
Stroke (mm)	89
Compression ratio (:1)	10
Max output (kW / hp / 1/min)	412 / 560 / 6000-7000
Max torque (Nm / 1/min)	680 / 1500-5750
Transmission
Gearbox	S7-speed M double-clutch transmission with Drivelogic
1st	4.806
2nd	2.593
3rd	1.701
4th	1.277
5th	1.000
6th	0.844
7th	0.671
Final drive ratio	3.150	3.154
Performance
Acceleration 0-100km/h (s)	4.4	4.2		4.3
Top speed (km/h)	250 / 305
Fuel consumption *
Urban (l/100km)	14.0
Extra-urban (l/100km)	7.6
Combined (l/100km)	9.9
CO² emissions (g/km)	232
Wheels and tyres
Standard wheels and tyres	345M 19”	433M 20”	344M 19”
front	9 x 19 265/40 R19	9 ½ x 20 265/35 R20	9 ½ x 19 265/40 R19
rear	10 x 19 295/35 R19	10 ½ x 20 295/30 R20	10 ½ x 19 295/35 R19

Wish I was still living in the UK!

There are some cars you can't get anywhere else in Europe, this is one of them.

The Vauxhall VXR8 for example (or Holden Grange / GTS), just like the predecessor, the Vauxhall Monaro - based on the Holden Monaro just like the Pontiac GTO.

And now the Brits get the nicest of those Holden derivatives, the Vauxhall VXR8 Tourer, the estate.  Holden fortunately doesn't follow the current GM Europe trend of blowing up car lines and proportions and remains beautifully simple and yet dynamic. Also the Tourer looks comparatively understated without a juvenile big rear spoiler like the sedan / saloon / limousine. Thank you Vauxhall.

Ah I wish, Opel were rebadging them as well...

check out netcarshow.com for more photos of that beast

Look, it's a Cayman!

The new Porsche Cayman: we were all expecting this Boxster coupé. We all thought we knew how the car would look like. And yet... it's baffling and beautiful, the most harmonious of all Porsches since the 993.

How to design a Cayman? Take a Boxster, draw a curvy roof and then a straight line to where the hatch reaches the mid part between the taillights and wings. Then add a window behind the door which curves upward towards the hatch. Why is that important? This c-pillar shape distinguishes the Cayman big time from the 911 and gives the Cayman the appearance of a 1960s sports car. Which is nice, because we like those cars, light, small and fast.

The first Cayman (987c) came late, in 2005, nearly a decade after the 986 Boxster. The 987 Boxster was an upgraded 986, the Cayman looked a bit like an afterthought. Some were making jokes, because Porsche offered the coupé at a significant premium compared to the cabriolet. Porsche marketing argued, yes, it's stiffer and handles better and to top it all, we added 10 more horsepower. Bizarre as it may seam, it worked, enthusiasts bought the argument, many loved the shape, though the proportions aren't perfect. The front end appeared heaver compared to the Boxster. The rear looked weirdly flat, because the hatch was drawn "with a ruler", and the glass was "indented". All in all, a bit like a front wheel drive cab forward sports car.

And now the new Cayman 981c. No surprise at first. And yet this new Cayman is so much more stunning than expected, which is the real surprise. The rear, especially the hatch is now more "rounded" and the glass sits on top of the hatch, only slightly indented towards the bottom of the hatch. The glass surface behind the door has increased, the upward sling is softer.

I thought the new 981 Boxster looked really good, and it does. But this 981c Cayman looks even better: sporty, sexy, nimble, practical, sleek, racy, purposeful. The proportions are just right.

Wow.

images Porsche.com configurator and gallery via netcarshow.com

Great Roads - California State Route 33

MotorTrends' video of a road trip with the Ferrari California in...  :-) Epic.

California State Route 33
Route 101
G16 to Carmel Valley
and finally Laguna Seca Racetrack

Great Roads - Wales and the Aventador

Nice review of the Lamborghini Aventator by CAR and DRIVER. To be honest, the Aventador is not the star of this clip, North Wales is. Because Jethro Bovingdon doesn't mention the exact location and name of the roads they took, here is a site where a lot of great roads in the UK are described incl maps:

http://www.drivingroads.co.uk/category/wales

BTW the Anglesey Circuit (map), which has been the purpose of this road trip, is really spectacular. It has been used by Top Gear and Fifth Gear as well and is also on my list of points of interest on my next trip to Wales.