beasts. This was my first
time using this specific
BMW iDrive system, but I
noticed a couple of
things.
One: unlike a 2007 750Li
I used, this one actually
works without
frustration.
Two: It’s a hit and
miss. I’m a guy that can
figure things out on user
interfaces without always
being familiar with it. The
Audi MMI? Piece of cake,
despite the funny scroll
wheel. Mercedes-Benz
COMAND? Not very
hard at all. This iDrive?
Um, I don’t know. The
jogwheel works the way
one would expect it
to. It’s capable of normal
scrolling along with
bumping. But how do
you change the chassis
setting? How do you
actually raise the car
before damaging the front
bumper on a speed
bump? There’s some
work to be done.
But it’s not Alpina’s fault.
Road
Unfortunately, the owner
was not willing to let a
testosterone-filled, 17
year old petrolhead drive
his US$130,000
sedan. (But c’mon,
everybody is driving
these things!) Here’s
what I learned from a
quick drive with me
relegated to the
passenger seat. Bear in
mind that I’m no stranger
to the Audi A8.
It’s smooth. The very
beginning of the drive
had the car in
comfort. Soon
afterwards, the driver put
the car in sport. While
the car was in the sportier
setting, I was more
focused on the power of
the car. But I still noticed
the overall
smoothness. At one
point, without the help of
computer editing, we
exceeded 55 MPH (88
km/h). This car behaved
like a proper, executive
grand tourer. Every
speed achieved felt like
cruising.
It’s powerful. Our pull
from 20-55 may not have
pushed me to the back of
the seat like a Tesla
Model S P85 once
did. But it was quite
powerful. A nice amount
of engine noise transmits
itself into the cabin, just
the way a proper sporty
executive sedan should.
The transmission is
great. One thing I
noticed about the ‘07 A8
is that the transmission is
superb. Of course, this
Alpina was no
different. When left on its
own, it chooses the gear
properly. But as soon as
you give the throttle a
moderate tap, it
downshifts
seamlessly. Almost like
the A8, but better. And I
have a lot of fun doing
that in the A8.
Conclusion
I wish that a little more
was done by Alpina when
it comes to the
interior. The exterior is
perfect, in my
opinion. The styling is
distinct, but not too busy,
even with the 21 spoke
rims. On the
performance front, the
refinement of the 7Series is there, except
there is a good flair of
performance. Would I
buy this car? That
depends. This car was
stickered for about
US$130,000 brand
new. Despite the D4
Audi S8 being quicker, I
may choose the Alpina
just for the name. The
S63 AMG is over $130K,
so to keep it fair, I’ll omit
it. The Panamera is very
nice, but the value aspect
of al l of the variants are
not. Adding special
leather, parking assist,
and wheels brings the car