Test drive Alpina D5: Miracle Diesel
Test Drive

Test drive Alpina D5: Miracle Diesel

Test drive Alpina D5: Miracle Diesel

Thanks to its refined manners, aristocratic spirit, low fuel consumption and impressive dynamics, the Alpina D5 is not just a link between the M550d and 535d. Buchloe models live their own unique life.

No article about Alpina begins without a few words about the company itself – as unique as its founder, Burkard Bovensiepen. Even today, behind a well-known name hides a unique desire to create perfect products, and now designers have to face new engineering challenges - increased power must be combined with compliance with such strict environmental requirements that BMW Alpina branded cars can be easily sold anywhere in the world. Therefore, conventional stands will not fit here - in the new halls of the company you will find the most modern testing and testing facilities and laboratories that will ensure the release of the cleanest gases from the exhaust pipes. The key word is homologation - as we mentioned, whether it's Japan or the US, Alpina should have no problem registering their cars.

Gone are the days when seasoned motorists virtuously milled engine heads to increase compression or re-profile crankshaft cams. Today's turbo engines allow for much lighter software interventions that change the entire engine control strategy. However, according to Andreas Bovensiepen, the desires of luxury equipment buyers are far from limited to such changes - an exceptional image is much more, and Bovensiepen has learned to provide it to people who want something different from their BMW.

The CEO of the company leads us through his cellar - actually a tasting wine cellar - where, with indirect lighting, a temperature of eight and a half degrees and a splashing fountain, you can see finely spaced and powder-coated bottles of top quality wine.

Unique style

However, we are not here for wine, but to discover the automotive manifestation of a sense of pleasure that reaches the bone marrow and is called the Alpina D5. No more, no less than 350 hp and the powerful 700 Nm are the figures of a noble six-cylinder diesel engine with two turbochargers.

For 70 euros, Alpina can supply you with a strong version of the BMW 950d with added 535 hp, 37 Nm and, of course, that subtle aristocracy that gives the brand's creations an individual character and unique style. The latter can be achieved without the presence of thin gold stripes on the side of the car, so they can be deleted from the proposal. Much more important are 70-inch multi-spoke wheels with a valve hidden in the body, leather upholstery with Alpina metal emblems, a front spoiler and a rear diffuser. The company even makes previously unthinkable compromises in the name of practicality - the diffuser can be dropped if the car is ordered with a tow bar. Another question is which caravan should be ordered by the owner of Alpina D20.

However, some things cannot be ruled out in any way, as they are part of the Alpina identity, such as the metal plate with the car's serial number, the distinctive blue controls and special decorative elements. What have we forgotten? Of course, the steering wheel is upholstered in rough two-tone Lavalin leather and fine stitching.

Technology comes first

In addition to the precision of the design solutions, the technocrat can immediately detect a modified suspension with adaptive dampers with modified characteristics, springs shortened by six millimeters, as well as an increased vertical angle of the front wheels due to different types of tires - in this case, two pairs of Michelin Super Sport 255 mm in front of 285 mm behind. As additional equipment, you can order a self-locking differential that allows you to use the power of a three-liter diesel engine more efficiently, because the latter does not float, catapulting a 1,9-ton pile to 100 km / h in 5,2 seconds and up to 160 km / h in 12,4 seconds .

Even more impressive is the way the powerful engine accelerates the car - no matter the rpm, the two turbochargers are always ready to take in air and send it deep into the cylinders, creating a sharp thrust. Starting at 1000 rpm and above, the revs rise rapidly and continue up to the 5000 mark, accompanied by a decent sporty sound. This is no coincidence - a significant part of the exhaust system is borrowed directly from the gasoline B5, which brings us back to gas exchange systems.

The D5 designers approached the issue of increasing the power of the car quite intelligently - instead of using an expensive solution with larger turbochargers, they were looking for a way to increase the pressure of the current cascade units and significantly increased the capacity of the air cooling system. . To do this, they installed a large heat exchanger under the hood and two water coolers in front of the front fenders, while re-architecting the intake manifolds. The exhaust pipes are made of a high thermal load resistant material which acts as an initial buffer for the elevated temperature of the exhaust gases before they enter said gasoline exhaust system. For this reason, it is not surprising that the range of the generated sound fluctuates somewhere between the gasoline and diesel spectrum, without completely ignoring its true principle of operation.

Equally convenient

The perfectly tuned ZF eight-speed automatic still does the job well, and if desired, the driver can also shift manually using levers on the steering wheel specially designed for Alpina models. In real life, you can safely stick to rpm levels below 2000 and fully enjoy the comfort of the power of this engine. Even the Eco Pro mode has been preserved, which helps the driver to drive more economically, even informing him if he exceeds the speed of 130 km / h.

In fact, the true technocratic beauty of this car lies in large part in its ability to make a big difference between amazing performance on the one hand and comfort and low fuel consumption on the other. The Comfort+ mode is an extremely pleasant solution for everyday use, as it retains almost the entire dynamic range of the D5, while filtering out bumps in the road to a much greater extent. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the Sport and Sport+ modes, which tighten the car's settings and, thanks to the perfect weight balance, provide new opportunities to test the senses. In this case, the electronics intervene much later, leaving the start of buttock service out of control. Of course, without undue seriousness - if necessary, electronics make full use of the capabilities of security systems.

text: Jorn Thomas

Evaluation

Alpina D5

The Alpina D5 is powered by an excellent diesel engine in every way. Powerful, comfortable and economical, this car develops the flair of the 535d and creates a sense of true uniqueness.

technical details

Alpina D5
Working volume-
Power350 k.s. at 4000 rpm
Maximum

torque

-
Acceleration

0-100 km / h

5,2 with
Braking distances

at a speed of 100 km / h

35 m
full speed275 km / h
Average consumption

fuel in the test

10,3 l
Base Price70 950 euro

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