Skip advert
Advertisement
Long term tests

Alpina D3

Last minute change of plan for the ECOTY cameraman meant a huge fuel saving with our Alpina

Alpina D3

Before Harry got his calculator out, staff photographer Chris Rutter was going to use the Cayenne Turbo to ferry his camera kit up to Skye for eCoty, but it transpired that it’d be £350 cheaper to use my Alpina. Chris averaged 44mpg over the week and completed the first part of the journey, from Cambridge to Glasgow, on half a tank. Not bad when you consider the weight of his tripods, clamps, lights, cameras, battery packs and ladders.

Advertisement - Article continues below

That weight did cause some bottoming-out on bumpier roads, and uphill acceleration was less effective, but as a long-distance companion Chris had no complaints, although he did say he would have preferred the estate D3, as the saloon’s deep but narrow boot opening caused him a little back pain.

Overall, though, I reckon that if we’d included the D3 in the test it wouldn’t have disgraced itself, especially if we’d left Chris’s gear on the side of the road.

Running Costs

Date acquiredJanuary 2009
Total mileage15,852
Costs this month£0
Mileage this month3621
MPG this month43.6
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Ford Focus ST (Mk3) – the car world's greatest misses
Ford Focus ST Mk3
Features

Ford Focus ST (Mk3) – the car world's greatest misses

We’d hoped the 2015 Focus ST would share a good dose of its little brother’s magic. Sadly, it didn’t
28 Apr 2025
The Ferrari 296 Speciale has arrived, and it could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever
Ferrari 296 Speciale – front
News

The Ferrari 296 Speciale has arrived, and it could be the most thrilling Ferrari ever

The 296 Speciale is the latest in Ferrari's line of mid-engined road racers, packing 868bhp and LaFerrari-beating pace on track
29 Apr 2025
Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 2025 review – the ultimate analogue hypercar
GMA T.50 front
Reviews

Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 2025 review – the ultimate analogue hypercar

The GMA T.50 is the car we thought would never come: Gordon Murray's sequel to the ultimate hypercar, the McLaren F1
26 Apr 2025