ALPINA vsZ4M

M

MUDMAN

Member
Im looking at Z4M roadsters, and see a Alpina for sale on the forum.I know nothing about them. How do they stack up by comparison, i know they are a 3.4, what does that equate to for performance, handling and rarity ? Is there physical differences to the body?
 
With only 167 RHD cars made the Alpinas are much rarer than the ///M, there are lots of posts on here comparing the two (with bias in one direction or the other depending on which car the poster owns) but it's worth reading Stuart Truman's comparison as he's the only person on here who's owned both http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49348

At the end of the day, only you can decide which is right for you, drive them both and then you should know which you prefer...
 
PerryGunn said:
With only 167 RHD cars made the Alpinas are much rarer than the ///M, there are lots of posts on here comparing the two (with bias in one direction or the other depending on which car the poster owns) but it's worth reading Stuart Truman's comparison as he's the only person on here who's owned both http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49348
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Cheers for that link P , i hadn't previously read that before but after having a dabble in Number5s Alpina & owning a ZMR i can fully understand & appreciate every point made
I think it more than covers the ownership foibles & inherent characteristics between the two cars but misses one very vital part for potential owners who are possibly considering buying one of the 2 models :wink: the current market prices / values :roll:
 
mr wilks said:
PerryGunn said:
With only 167 RHD cars made the Alpinas are much rarer than the ///M, there are lots of posts on here comparing the two (with bias in one direction or the other depending on which car the poster owns) but it's worth reading Stuart Truman's comparison as he's the only person on here who's owned both http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49348
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Cheers for that link P , i hadn't previously read that before but after having a dabble in Number5s Alpina & owning a ZMR i can fully understand & appreciate every point made
I think it more than covers the ownership foibles & inherent characteristics between the two cars but misses one very vital part for potential owners who are possibly considering buying one of the 2 models :wink: the current market prices / values :roll:
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True enough, but, ignoring running costs, it's not the purchase price that really matters, it's the depreciation during ownership that's the actual cost - IMO anyone purchasing a good example of either car, and keeping it for a year or two, shouldn't suffer too much depreciation whichever way they jump
 
Initial price paid has to be a major factor in depreciation though Perry ?
Without wanting to cause heated debate :oops: the current forum Alpina owners all bought in when the market was low in direct comparison to the M model .
Would they be as keen to buy in again if prices were on a par with M models ?
 
mr wilks said:
Initial price paid has to be a major factor in depreciation though Perry ?
Without wanting to cause heated debate :oops: the current forum Alpina owners all bought in when the market was low in direct comparison to the M model .
Would they be as keen to buy in again if prices were on a par with M models ?
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Personally, price wasn't an issue when I got mine, if I'd wanted an ///M, I would have bought one

Barring change of circumstances, mine's not going anywhere any time soon, but haven't prices converged because ///M prices are falling and Alpina prices are rising? If that's the case, it could actually be cheaper to own an Alpina for a couple of years than an ///M...
 
PerryGunn said:
haven't prices converged because ///M prices are falling and Alpina prices are rising? If that's the case, it could actually be cheaper to own an Alpina for a couple of years than an ///M...
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:? not sure i understand that logic :?
When i see a 05 Alpina with 48k up at £16k a fortnight after a 38k MR struggled to sell for £14k id say buying into Alpinaship right now could be far from a cheap ownership experience :cry:
As ever its the Z4 game of snakes & ladders which ultimately will be decided & dictated by buyers handing over their hard earned & not what main dealers or enthusiastic owners decide to put on the screen
Its certainly a interesting scene right now & looking forward to seeing how the usual spring upswing affects things :thumbsup:
 
mr wilks said:
PerryGunn said:
haven't prices converged because ///M prices are falling and Alpina prices are rising? If that's the case, it could actually be cheaper to own an Alpina for a couple of years than an ///M...
Click to expand...

:? not sure i understand that logic :?
When i see a 05 Alpina with 48k up at £16k a fortnight after a 38k MR struggled to sell for £14k id say buying into Alpinaship right now could be far from a cheap ownership experience :cry:
As ever its the Z4 game of snakes & ladders which ultimately will be decided & dictated by buyers handing over their hard earned & not what main dealers or enthusiastic owners decide to put on the screen
Its certainly a interesting scene right now & looking forward to seeing how the usual spring upswing affects things :thumbsup:
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Interesting thread!

Mr Wilks, surely an Alpina must be next on your list - you've had nearly every other variant! :lol:
 
Mr Tidy said:
mr wilks said:
PerryGunn said:
haven't prices converged because ///M prices are falling and Alpina prices are rising? If that's the case, it could actually be cheaper to own an Alpina for a couple of years than an ///M...
Click to expand...

:? not sure i understand that logic :?
When i see a 05 Alpina with 48k up at £16k a fortnight after a 38k MR struggled to sell for £14k id say buying into Alpinaship right now could be far from a cheap ownership experience :cry:
As ever its the Z4 game of snakes & ladders which ultimately will be decided & dictated by buyers handing over their hard earned & not what main dealers or enthusiastic owners decide to put on the screen
Its certainly a interesting scene right now & looking forward to seeing how the usual spring upswing affects things :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Interesting thread!

Mr Wilks, surely an Alpina must be next on your list - you've had nearly every other variant! :lol:
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You can't imagine how many times i have read this thread http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=89358 & how close i was to PMing a offer :wink: urge quelled once the MR deal was struck but i still think this is a fabulous example with some great add on's :wink:
 
mr wilks said:
PerryGunn said:
haven't prices converged because ///M prices are falling and Alpina prices are rising? If that's the case, it could actually be cheaper to own an Alpina for a couple of years than an ///M...
Click to expand...

:? not sure i understand that logic :?
When i see a 05 Alpina with 48k up at £16k a fortnight after a 38k MR struggled to sell for £14k id say buying into Alpinaship right now could be far from a cheap ownership experience :cry:
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There was also a 35k Alpina that was up for £20k in late December and sold quickly... good example, rare car, premium price - but it sold...

If Alpina prices are rising (note I said if) it could be quite possible to buy a good one now and sell it on in a year or two without losing much, if anything, in depreciation. The logic in my earlier statement is that, any car that you can sell on after a couple of years for (roughly) what you paid for it is a 'cheap ownership experience'

This is exactly what was happening with the ///M cars up until recently when the bubble seems to have deflated somewhat... If, however, the Alpina price rises are another bubble, then you could be quite right and prices could drop rapidly making ownership over a couple of years an expensive proposition - if we knew exactly which cars were going to appreciate, 'this time next year we'll be millionaires (Rodney)' :wink:
 
Not owning either or driven either much. But I have a zed and I have fitted an Lsd and yes it makes a big diffrance. Turnnin is better and power delivery is better. Also the TC works better in on and semi on modes.

And yes they sound completely different.
 
MUDMAN said:
In real terms does the lack of LSD affect the handling, and do they sound very different?
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LSD - yes, it's an enhancement, very useful if you are tracking the car, or driving at the limit. Not really noticeable in day-to-day driving, and you can get a Quaife installed at Birds for around £1300 - £1500. Perry Gunn has one on his, so can give you benefit of his hands-on experience. I haven't bothered yet, but have it on the list of possible upgrades.

Sound wise, totally different. Alpina exhaust burbles are one of the car's major plus points and the main reason I haven't changed to a 4-port configuration at the back. Sounds like a bag of spanners at start-up, but an absolutely fantastic sound once warmed up. I much prefer it to the ///M's OEM sound. Engine sound I find is more pleasant, the ///M can sound a bit harsh when under hard acceleration. The power curve is better - the Alpina just keeps on giving through the range, the ///M I found waited until the revs mounted up, then it kicked off - at that point, the ///M's acceleration was better, but not by much.
 
markeg said:
MUDMAN said:
In real terms does the lack of LSD affect the handling, and do they sound very different?
Click to expand...
LSD - yes, it's an enhancement, very useful if you are tracking the car, or driving at the limit. Not really noticeable in day-to-day driving, and you can get a Quaife installed at Birds for around £1300 - £1500. Perry Gunn has one on his, so can give you benefit of his hands-on experience. I haven't bothered yet, but have it on the list of possible upgrades.
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Yes, I have a Quaife installed - and, I'd disagree with Mark, as it is noticeable in day-to-day driving, not in an intrusive way but by the way it removes characteristics that were there before and just makes the car feel 'better' - you can read about it in this thread http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=74954

Expensive upgrade... yes!
Would I fit it again.... oh yes! :driving:
 
PerryGunn said:
markeg said:
MUDMAN said:
In real terms does the lack of LSD affect the handling, and do they sound very different?
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...Not really noticeable in day-to-day driving...
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.. and, I'd disagree with Mark, as it is noticeable in day-to-day driving, not in an intrusive way but by the way it removes characteristics that were there before and just makes the car feel 'better' ...
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Should have said "I'm not sure it would be noticeable...", but as I haven't experienced the before-and-after in the Alpina, I defer to Perry's experience :)
 
markeg said:
Should have said "I'm not sure it would be noticeable...", but as I haven't experienced the before-and-after in the Alpina, I defer to Perry's experience :)
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TBH, the difference was more noticeable during the first few drives after having it fitted, then it becomes 'the norm' and you stop thinking about it feeling different and just enjoy it...
 
Taz said:
aesthetically, i prefer the twin exhaust and the steering wheel of the M
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Steering wheel, yes, partially - I liked the black switches and the thicker wheel, but I prefer the Alpina badges and leather facings. Mine now has a hybrid version of the two, so I'm happy there. Exhausts - I also prefer the four port exhaust, it looks balanced at the back, but I prefer the sound of the Alpina's two ports... so I'm conflicted on that one :)
 
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