I hope so... but I have some reservations.b10brian wrote:This will sell well
It's easily the best looking 5-series Alpina I've seen since I looked in my driveway, and that's been a long time coming. The exterior and interior is gorgeous, as is the case with all of Buchloe's show cars, and the performance/economy mix is just incredible. It's the big brother to that runaway success, the D3, so it stands to reason it will be as popular as the D3... Or does it?
Before you rush to beat me over the head with a crowbar and stone me for being the pessimistic Scot that I am, just consider the market for cars costing €70k; I assume that's the base price - the show cars on stand will be nearer €90k with their multitude of options. I suspect there are few contributors on this board who could (or would) buy one of these things new, so please hear me out. I'm not dissing the car!! However, it's fair to say I don't have much faith in the green credentials and fickle nature of the potential client base.
I can think of a number of people in my area who could buy one of these things as a second car. They spend much of their life on a different planet. They regard a Gallardo as a weekend toy and they think recycling plastic and glass is something best left to the plebs at the landfill site. Why the hell would they want to get their hands smelly when they refuel their car? They could just get a B5 and avoid that inconvenience, for goodness sake! Derv is for the shooting-brake and towing the horse-box.
The D3 was a runaway success for two good reasons. Firstly, it was better than the 320D M-Sport for those who cared about driving. However, it was also a company-car buyers dream (if it was on the options list) because the lease cost and emissions category meant a few quid less UK income tax each month - every little helps. It was all about the money, and the value for money. It's still a good car, but, with all due respect to D3 owners, it's the definitive entry-level Alpina; a Porsche 924 for the man who aspires to a 911. (Actually it was better than that, but not in UK/Sytner spec.)
Consider whether many people would go for a 911D, even if it did get better mpg than a standard 911... If you can afford to blow €20k+ on annual depreciation, an extra couple of €k a year on fuel isn't going to sway your decision to buy a D5 over a B5. If the stink of derv overpowers the mix of lavalina and RL when you return to your cocoon after paying for your refuelling, that's going to be a major consideration. It's just not necessary in the way a D3 was necessary.
I'd love to see some of these on the road, and perhaps even one on my driveway. However, I don't think it's a realistic alternative to the 520D so I'm not holding my breath that I'll be spotting many of them, even in Aberdeen (or, should I say, especially in Aberdeen).
On the plus side, it's at least a proper Alpina