Skip advert
Advertisement
Long term tests

Alpina B10

A puncture in 7,000 miles was the only blot in the Alpina's book

Photographers and the Alpina don’t mix. A couple of months back Gus Gregory was cursing its incompatibility with French LPG nozzles, now our staff snapper, Chris Rutter, suffered a puncture on his way back from this month’s Grand Challenge escapade at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground.

We’ll be getting a new Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric fitted in the next couple of days, and that – touch wood – is the only expense the old girl has suffered since its post-purchase service back in August, 7000 miles ago.

Advertisement - Article continues below

While we were at Bruntingthorpe it would have been remiss of us to not attach the timing gear to the Alpina. A single run with a gentle start saw 149mph before the anchors were required. It felt completely stable and still accelerating, so I guess I’m gonna have to find a longer runway…

Running Costs

Date acquiredAugust 2008
Total mileage102,276
Costs this month£154 (tyre)
Mileage this month701
MPG this month27.6 (petrol equivalent)
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Jaguar F-Pace SVR long term test – more efficient than a diesel Discovery
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Long term tests

Jaguar F-Pace SVR long term test – more efficient than a diesel Discovery

A stint in a diesel-engined Discovery that resulted in only 30mpg has convinced me the F-Pace SVR is impressively frugal
8 Apr 2026
The classic Porsche 911 is overhyped, according to the man dedicated to perfecting it
Jan Kalmar
Features

The classic Porsche 911 is overhyped, according to the man dedicated to perfecting it

Kalmar Automotive's mission is to create the perfect Porsches for 'nerds' and push the limits, making 911s into everything from rally cars to hypercar…
6 Apr 2026
Best Japanese cars – performance icons from GR Yaris to NSX-R
Best Japanese cars
Best cars

Best Japanese cars – performance icons from GR Yaris to NSX-R

The Japanese have produced some of the most compelling performance cars we've ever tested, from hot hatches and rally cars to full-on supercars
7 Apr 2026