Newbie - G31 B5 Touring #235

DeeJayHaitch · Post by **DeeJayHaitch** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:16 am

Hi all,

I picked up my B5 #235 today. It's in Sophisto Grey with black nappa interior. I notice the last one registered on the site, from France is the same, and there was someone from Long Eaton recently who said they're expecting one in December, but with white interior.

You may see me out and about the Nottingham area or my home town of Solihull.

My first Alpina. I always fancied an RS6, then I started looking recently and liked the E63 S, but test drove the Alpina, and realised it ticked all the boxes for me.

Not a great day for taking pics, so here are a few early snaps - I need to take some better ones when I get the chance.........

B10BRW · Post by **B10BRW** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 1:16 am

Welcome to the register and Alpina ownership, fine way to start with a B5 touring

Dunc · Post by **Dunc** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 12:17 pm

Congrats, I've had the green demo saloon for a day, what an awesome piece of kit. Makes the D4 seem very slow.

Philrose · Post by **Philrose** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 4:43 pm

I'll look out for you in Solihull. Enjoy the car - we enjoy ours.

Burnham · Post by **Burnham** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 11:08 pm

Wow, thats lovely! Congrats.

How does it feel in terms of performance compared to the E63 S?

DeeJayHaitch · Post by **DeeJayHaitch** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 11:38 pm

Burnham wrote:Wow, thats lovely! Congrats.

How does it feel in terms of performance compared to the E63 S?

Thank you. In truth, I never actually got chance to drive one. The dealer was struggling to get hold of one for me, although I did eventually get to sit in one and start her up. I'm a Merc fanboy, and the AMGs are great cars, as are the RS & M (albeit no touring) offering, but I think they're all too brutish in their looks and sound. And I feel this would be the same in the drive.

A small (getting smaller) part of me still wishes I'd have held off until I had test drove all, but after test driving FE18 OCC, I knew this car was what I was after, and will suit me down to the ground as an everyday run-around, albeit at a premium price to the others (once discounts are taken into consideration).

Cook · Post by **Cook** » Thu Nov 01, 2018 11:47 pm

Lovely car. Very very envious ! I dropped out of a B5 touring into an RS6. Which is finally growing on me after 18 months ....
But come replacement time its one just like yours for me ! Only in Redditch myself so will keep an eye out for you If you see a black RS6 flashing you its me 👌🏻👌🏻!! And not a car jacker from castle vale 😂😂

DeeJayHaitch · Post by **DeeJayHaitch** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 3:46 pm

Cook wrote:Lovely car. Very very envious ! I dropped out of a B5 touring into an RS6. Which is finally growing on me after 18 months ....
But come replacement time its one just like yours for me ! Only in Redditch myself so will keep an eye out for you If you see a black RS6 flashing you its me 👌🏻👌🏻!! And not a car jacker from castle vale 😂😂

Thank you. Would you say my summary of the difference between the Alpina and RS is correct then, as this is just an assumption on my part?

Will keep my eyes peeled, and baseball bat to hand. Hope you rejoin the club soon.

Cook · Post by **Cook** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 4:12 pm

Brutish looks are one of the better parts of owning & driving an RS6 - you certainly spend a lot of time looking over your shoulder when you walk away after parking up - and so does everyone else ! and then the camera phones come out ... The Alpina B5 does allow a certain bit of anonymity and thus quiet knowledge from behind the wheel that you are able to despatch most things with aplomb !

Brutish sound is not bad - you can have it loud or 'relatively' quiet - just not start up - thats a bit loud on a cold morning at 6am for the neighbours, well judging by the curtain twitching that goes on..... The Alpina I found just a little too quiet - not sure how the new ones stack up on that front but always felt a 4.4l V8 with a supercharger should have had a bit of James Earl Jones bass about itself when pressing on.
looking forward to a drive of a G series as heard its a very engaging drive. Never got the Merc thing - although the AMG GT is a stunning piece of aesthetic workmanship, just watching those prices drop steadily now and one of those may tempt me when the 2 seat club beckons... Good luck !

Dans · Post by **Dans** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 4:31 pm

cracking car, enjoy it!

DeeJayHaitch · Post by **DeeJayHaitch** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 4:44 pm

Cook wrote:Brutish looks are one of the better parts of owning & driving an RS6 - you certainly spend a lot of time looking over your shoulder when you walk away after parking up - and so does everyone else ! and then the camera phones come out ... The Alpina B5 does allow a certain bit of anonymity and thus quiet knowledge from behind the wheel that you are able to despatch most things with aplomb !

Brutish sound is not bad - you can have it loud or 'relatively' quiet - just not start up - thats a bit loud on a cold morning at 6am for the neighbours, well judging by the curtain twitching that goes on..... The Alpina I found just a little too quiet - not sure how the new ones stack up on that front but always felt a 4.4l V8 with a supercharger should have had a bit of James Earl Jones bass about itself when pressing on.
looking forward to a drive of a G series as heard its a very engaging drive. Never got the Merc thing - although the AMG GT is a stunning piece of aesthetic workmanship, just watching those prices drop steadily now and one of those may tempt me when the 2 seat club beckons... Good luck !

I would say you're correct with the sound from the Alpina being rather 'tamer', let's say. A nice purr though, certainly on start up, which quietens after circa 10secs. I'm currently driving in Comfort mode whilst I run it in, and can't hear much in the cockpit, but believe things open up once Sports Plus is engaged. I'll give it a go in a few hundred miles time. Although, I have heard/read there are some faux acoustics at play in the Alpina, unfortunately.

I think the AMGs are fabulous cars, especially the recent engines, although I'm put off by the stupid space age vents in most, and not sold on the oversized ipad like dash - if that's what you want to call it. But I was certainly very tempted, considering I could pick up one fully kitted for Â£87k. I always wonder off to the AMG section when in the showroom - quite regularly recently.

You'll have to get up to Sytner Notts, as they're running the saloon & touring as demos, or so I believe. Let me know if you do and I'll come meet you. Any excuse for a drive

hap · Post by **hap** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 7:23 pm

Nice and subtle
Love the Audi but unfortunately you will have a target on your back for races but more worrying being targeted to steal i read only the other day in Birmingham at 5:45 x3 masked guys kicked the door down with a 3 year old present and took his rs6 estate the owner was held in a choke hold position

PhillV8S · Post by **PhillV8S** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 10:05 pm

With ref to that burglary, I believe they were after a golf on the drive and only found the Audi in the garage after they found keys for it in the house. Shocking how far these scum will go to steal someoneâ€™s property though.

DeeJayHaitch · Post by **DeeJayHaitch** » Fri Nov 02, 2018 10:19 pm

hap wrote:Nice and subtle
Love the Audi but unfortunately you will have a target on your back for races but more worrying being targeted to steal i read only the other day in Birmingham at 5:45 x3 masked guys kicked the door down with a 3 year old present and took his rs6 estate the owner was held in a choke hold position

Audi's do seem to be the thieves vehicle of choice, certainly round the Solihull/Birmingham area from when I was down there up until recently.

Still plenty of thefts up here, but seems to be more a mixed bag. Not that I've seen any official figures, just what I've seen doing the rounds on social media.

Metrics · Post by **Metrics** » Sun Nov 04, 2018 2:11 pm

Lovely car, many congrats. Definitely the gents choice this car - discreet and classy. Sophisto and the lack of obvious Alpina logos makes yours look even more stealthy.

Are you sure the B5 has sound piped through the speakers? I thought I read the B5 is all real sound, but the D5S has some piped in. I had a D5S demo recently and it definitely sounded louder than my D5BT.