First up is yet another batch of great car photos from Vintage Racer. It's a super-clean 2002tii Touring he shot at one of the many racing events he attends.



Next, we have a much quicker Bavarian. This is a 2002ti Alpina owned by Texas Enzo repairman Matt Groner. Here's what he has to say about his car:

I enjoyed the vintage racing article. Attached are pictures of my 2002ti Alpina that I bought from Germany in 2002. One of the pictures in your article shows one like mine behind the Escort. It's a small world. I bought my son a 95 M3 from the original owner in Arlington, Texas last year. I had vintage raced with him in 2004 and he was in the process of building an Escort to vintage race. Thus, he needed the room and sold me his M3 with original paint. It doesn't have original paint anymore thanks to my some taking it off track a couple times. Live and learn... At least he's doing it on the track and not on the street.

Best known in the US for the Alpina B7, which is the M7 BMW never built, Alpina has a long history of tweaking diesels in Europe. Taking a smaller engine from the diesel 123d and transplanting it in the 3-series is a touch strange, but you end up with a unique tuner car capable of adequate performance, a 152 MPH top speed and impressive mileage of 45 MPG (US).

For just $43,000 you can feel as green as a hybrid owner and, with 332 lb-ft of torque on tap, you can leave them in your eco-friendly dust.

The new BMW ALPINA D3 Bi-Turbo Saloon

Unbeatable combination of performance, economy and emissions

The new BMW ALPINA D3. Saloon car evolution of the acclaimed D3 Coupe is now in the showrooms. A four cylinder four-door car, arguably the cleverest buy for all discerning UK drivers, delivering more than any larger engined counterpart in terms of performance, economy, low emissions and sheer exclusivity.

ALPINA engineers have once again used their development of BMW's state-of-the-art twin turbo diesel engine from the 123d, which – at 214 hp – produces more horsepower per litre than any other engine in a current BMW ALPINA road car.

Like the previous D3 Saloon, all UK cars will be ordered in a single specification meaning that customers only need to choose between manual and automatic gearbox and select their preferred colour and trim.

The car is capable of 152 mph and 0-62 mph in 6.9 secs and yet the official fuel consumption and emission figures tell a very different story: 52.3 mpg (overall EU) and 143 g/km (manual gearbox version).

John Quigley, Managing Director of ALPINA GB said: "The previous model D3 was one of our most successful cars ever. We believe we really hit the spot in terms of performance, exclusivity and price. But the new car is even better than the previous model in all the key areas; performance is improved, yet both fuel economy and – crucially – emissions are reduced. Around half of D3 sales will be to business users – who will relish any opportunity to lower their personal benefit in kind charges."

ALPINA GB, part of the Sytner Group, has been the sole UK importer for ALPINA since 1983. ALPINA has worked closely with BMW since 1961, with shared warranty coverage since 1964. ALPINA was registered as an automobile manufacturer to ISO standards in 1983.

[Source: Alpina]

With both the demand and price for oil way the hell up in the stratosphere, it seems that people in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries have a lot of extra money. They also happen to love F1 and hot European cars that can go 200 mph. So, they're buying them in record numbers. Kuwait is now the biggest market for Aston Martin in the world. Because we're pinko bleeding-heart lefty types, we love the fact that Kuwait also features the most women buyers of the famed British marque. And lets not forget that the Kuwaiti concern Investment Dar owns 50% of Aston Martin. Many dealers have seen sales triple in the past year. Ferrari as a brand has expanded 120% in the UAE alone. Lamborghini and Porsche are seeing similar increases. Even BMW and Audi are in on the boom. Not to be left out are the little players, as Alpina and RUF are seeing sales spike. As reported earlier, RUF even went so far as to open a $20 million factory in Bahrain. Why on earth not? – Jonny Lieberman

Supercars selling like hot-cakes in the Middle East [Motor Authority]

Aston Martin Sold To Kuwaiti Investment Company For $925 Million [Internal]

Vincent and his gang of Hollandaise car watchers say they've procured images of the BMW Alpina B3, the latest of such tuners to grab the motoring spotlight. The B3's donor is the turbocharged BMW 335i, from which Alpina's engineers have allegedly wrung 360 hp and 369 lbs-ft of torque. Word is the B3 and its new, biturbo B5 sibling will both be appearing in Geneva. No word on specific mods, but we'll know (or not know) more by next week. – Mike Spinelli

Onthuld: Alpina B3 Biturbo [Autoblog.nl]

Related:
Chicago Auto Show: The BMW Alpina B7, Because There's No Such Thing As M7 [internal]

BMW tuner pal Alpina's 7-Series, the d butante known as B7, made its coming-out earlier today in formal court dress. The $115,000, supercharged seven doesn't quite break the 200 mph marky (top speed, 186 mph), but it can get from zero to 60 in 4.8 seconds and it's got a tweaked six speed and that schmacky set of 21" Alpina rimmage. BMW's vouching for the lady, so we'd imagine she's respectable. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

BMW ALPINA B7: BMW and ALPINA, Germany's Renowned Performance Specialists, Create a New High Performance 7 Series Model

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - February 16, 2006... Committed to developing the best performing vehicles in the luxury market, BMW with ALPINA has created a special high performance version of BMW s 7 Series luxury sedan. The 2006 BMW ALPINA B7 brings together the luxury, pioneering design, and advanced technology of the 7 Series Sedan with the scintillating performance of a supercharged, 500hp V-8 engine.

To power the BMW ALPINA B7, ALPINA specially developed a higher-performance version of BMW s 4.4-liter, 90-degree V-8 engine and mated it to a 6-speed automatic transmission featuring steering wheel mounted shift controls. The motor produces 500 horsepower at 5,500 rpm along with maximum torque of 516 lbs.-ft. at 4,250 rpm, and propels the B7 from 0-60 mph in a mere 4.8 seconds. ALPINA 21-inch wheels carry Z-rated performance tires, while the sport-tuned suspension includes Active Roll Stabilization. The B7 aerokit includes a rear spoiler to improve stability, handling, and performance at high speeds.

ALPINA was established in 1964 as an official and approved ennobler of BMW automobiles. Their tradition is to take production BMWs and make them even more appealing to connoisseurs of automotive finery.

With this new model, BMW will raise the benchmark for the segment in terms of performance, refinement, technology, and luxury. Approximately 200 US-version cars are planned for the 2006 model year, with a release date in July 2006.

Related:
BMW M7, if Only: Alpina B7 to Make US Debut at Chicago Show [internal]

Sultans lamenting the lack of BMW M7 action, whip out your AMEX Centurion cards. Bavarian tuning shop and BMW partner Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen (just Alpina, thanks) will show its B7 sedan at the Chicago show next week. It'll be the US debut for the tuner 7-Series, which has been massaged up to 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, via supercharging. That means unlike the M5, the B7 is a lowdown torque monster, peaking at at 4,250 rpm (compared to the V10's 383 lb-ft at 6,100 rpm). It also gets a sport-tuned suspension with active roll stabilization, signature 20-spoke wheels and a functional aero kit. A single low, low payment of $115,695 will get you one of the 200 B7s set to be produced this year. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

The BMW ALPINA B7 will make its U.S. debut at the Chicago Auto Show

With this new model, BMW will raise the benchmark for the segment in terms of performance, refinement, technology, and luxury. Approximately 200 US-version cars are planned for the 2007 model year. The BMW ALPINA B7 has a manufacturers suggested retail price of $115,695.

Related:
BMW Alpina B7 to Arrive in US [internal]

A few months back, longtime commenter Mattias (of Regards, Mattias fame) hipped us to Alpina's D3, the venerable BMW collaborator's take on the BMW 320d. Now, the D3's on the radar of Green Car Congress, which lauds the D3's high mileage and low C02 rating and Euro-4 compliance via particulate filter. Alpina applies a larger Garrett turbocharger and intercooler, larger injectors and tweaked engine management software to the stock model, boosting horsepower to 200 and torque to 302 lbs-ft, while retaining mileage of around 40 mpg. It's not the quickest model around (zero-to-60 in 7.4 seconds) and it wouldn't likely make it past the emissions police in California, New York and Massachusetts, but with the mileage figures in the Prius range, it most definitely can serve as a discussion opener.

BMW Alpina 2.0-liter Diesel D3 Delivers 100 HP/Liter and 40 MPG US [Green Car Congress]

Related:
BMW Alpina B7 to Arrive in US [internal]

Thither, M7? BMW and its longtime "enobler" (their word, not ours) Alpina announced last week they were bringing a new, higher-performance edition of the 7-Series to the US market, where normally such vehicles are rarer than the Hilton family's dignity. The 2006 BMW Alpina B7 will get a supercharged version of the 7's last-gen 4.4-liter V8 engine, producing 500hp and 516 lbs.-ft of torque. Reported zero to 60 time is 4.8 seconds. It also gets a mess 'o Alpina tweaks including 21-inch wheels, Z-rated tires, sport-tuned suspension with active roll stabilization and an aerodynamic kit.

BMW ALPINA B7 Coming to the United States [MPH]

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