Alpina interior in modern cars

[gam945]

Hi,

I've been a lurker on here for quite a time after falling in love with what I now consider the best car of all time - the Alpina B12 E38. Tried to learn more about the epitome of automobile constructors since then, and something bothers me when I take a look at modern Alpina's.

IMHO what makes Alpina great besides the tuning and mechanical upgrade is it's sheer elegance. On the outside, Alpina blue and Alpina green are the most beautiful colors I've seen on a car. The Alpina decals are also exceptional, as they're not tacky or taking too much of the eye - they're just elegant, both reminding of the racing heritage and the classy attitude of the car. But also the interior - on pre-2003-6 cars - is gorgeous with elements like the Alpina wood and the blue and green elements on the seats, the steering wheel, etc.

However looking a modern cars, it seems the interior has lost it's charm, and often resembles BMW's generic interiors. I know Alpina still offers the Alpina wood, but I see a lot of Aluminum (and carbon fiber?) interior trim. And I never see the blue and green elements in the interior besides the sewing on the steering wheel. Actually since the E60/E65/E90/E63 the blue and green elements seems to have been relegated to the armrests only. And after those models they disappeared.

I would have thought that the typical Alpina customer would at least have the Alpina wood option but from what I seen it's not the case. Does Alpina still offer customization of the interior leather with the blue and green elements? And is there any examples out there on modern cars?

Some pics to illustrate:
E38

E60

[PhillV8S]

I think the extra rhombs etc you are talking about were phased out when the F models came. My B6s is a 2008 car and has the full traditional Alpina rhombs on the seats, steering wheel and armrests but are black rather than blue/green but this is just because the original purchaser specced this colour way.
The Japanese models have different versions of the decoration, usually on the headrest but I agree it has been toned down in newer models apart from the Edition 50 cars with heritage leather option.

F3D37AC7-C880-4F7B-98FD-B36E91BBA20B.jpeg (1.71 MiB) Viewed 1457 times

[Frosty]

The Rhombs were still available as a headrest option in the F1x see ScooBeeFive's

thumbnail (9).jpg (46.51 KiB) Viewed 1453 times

That said I do agree with the OP, I preferred the rhombs being featured.

[PhillV8S]

One of the reasons I moved my old B10 V8s on was actually because the interior wasn’t very ‘Alpina’d’. I like these extra touches too and help lift the interior to a more special place to enjoy.

[Bob]

I think you're right to a degree, but it isn't the fact that ALPINA no longer offer the customisation options, the full range of is still available to customers who opt for Lavalina interiors, but the more minor embellishments have changed over the model ranges.

The E46/E39/E38 era cars with Montana/Nappa/Buffalo leathers could be optioned with things like: the badges in the seat backs with or without rhombs, the rhomb stripes in the seat base & seat backs (both vertically & diagonally).

From the E9x/E6x era cars they changed what was available with the Dakota/Merino leathers which just left roundels in the seatbacks and rhombs on the armrests and greater customisation of steering wheels.

For the F3x/F1x/F25 era cars they changed again the options for the Dakota/Merino leathers which could be optioned with roundels in the seat backs and embossing or rhombs in headrests and customisation of steering wheels.

G2x/G3x cars seem to be following the same trend as the F series cars.

These diluted options broadly co-incide with the increasing annual production of ALPINA and the shift in process to enable some additional parts of the manufacturing process to be completed on the BMW production line.

ALPINA do still offer the potential of infinite customisation but these options are less frequently chosen by buyers in the UK.

[Marc 76]

I do love to see quirky Alpina embellished interiors, the more noteworthy of which do seem to appear in older cars, agreed.

My own is very business like, and while it suits my needs it doesnt really scream Alpina. Its very subtle.

I think historically if you wanted anything really different Alpina had to do that for you, hence the highly individual stuff found in older cars. These days the BMW interior options are much more varied so you can for instance order a two tone contrasting leather combo (white seat backs and blue bolsters for instance) from BMW, and the additional Alpina touches we see are just the discreet roundels in seat backs and embossed head rests. Not so much of the green and blue rhombs cut in the leather / embroidered and the like, which i personally love.

[gam945]

Thanks for those very insightful responses guys. I especially agree with Bob about impact that increase in production has on those options, and with Marc that the fact that BMW Individual program makes less customization needed from Alpina's side.

ALPINA do still offer the potential of infinite customization but these options are less frequently chosen by buyers in the UK.

Does it means that any customer could actually ask for Rhombs in his new Alpina - and provided he puts the price they ask for it - and they'd do it? Or is it only in limited options, such as Rhombs on the headrest as Frosty pictured?

[Bob]

Does it means that any customer could actually ask for Rhombs in his new Alpina - and provided he puts the price they ask for it - and they'd do it? Or is it only in limited options, such as Rhombs on the headrest as Frosty pictured?

If you look at the current configurator you’ll see the only options for the standard/individual BMW leathers are: roundels in the seat back and embossed headrests with either lettering or the ALPINA crest. Beyond that you would need to select one of the Lavalina options, where-upon I believe your wallet is the only limitation.

[hap]

I think rav press car e46 b3 and Pete e46 B3s have best interior alpina buffalo leather,piped and seat back badges and green blue stitched transmission tunnel
The e36 edition 30 had very loud suede bespoke trim and the B5/6 Edition 50 came with the heritage green boxed trim found on the very early 6 series b7

[gam945]

I think rav press car e46 b3 and Pete e46 B3s have best interior alpina buffalo leather,piped and seat back badges and green blue stitched transmission tunnel

Any pics?

My favorite Alpina interior is definitively from the B10 V8S Nicole Limited Edition #40/88: embossed Alpina badge and a beautiful Rhombs pattern on the headrest, cream leather and two-tone interior, Rhombs on the doors and seats and beautiful blue and green stitching throughout the interior

[Bob]

That's a full Lavalina II interior in that V8S. It is beautiful and goes so well with the ALPINA Green. Theoretically you could recreate that on a current model car.

The v-shaped rhombs on the headrests were never an option on UK cars, but quite a few Japanese cars got them.

[bss325i]

You can option the Alpina logo or the ALPINA text embossed in the head rests on the current G series models as well as Rhombs on the with Lavalina 1 or 2 interiors.

On the G2x 3 series Alpinas £6350 for lavalina 1 or £11500 for lavalina 2 both of which automatically select the £1430 leather dash, very few UK owners opt for it.

£13k is a lot of money to spend on a fancy leather interior in a 3 series.

[hap]

Pics of the interiors

[James_G]

I agree that the ability to individualise the interior is one of the key benefits of an Alpina and for me would be one of the reasons to pay the additional premium over a regular BMW. In short, you can have it how you want it.

I am always surprised then that people choose fairly sober colour schemes such as black with black leather given the options available. But then I imagine some people like black on black whereas I generally try to avoid it.

But then by the same token I am not a fan of the rhombs in the seats - it all seems like gilding the lily to me. The B3 in the "Alpinas for Sale" section highlights this:

3-040-0_B3_BITURBO_COUPE_[E92]_#072_15a_i.jpg (85.35 KiB) Viewed 1224 times

I love this colour scheme but I can't help thinking it would look better/cleaner without the rhombs/badges in the seats.

TLDR: I agree it would be better to have more variety on interiors, but I can take or leave the embellishments.