When Alpina launched the two-door version of its D3 Bi-Turbo in 2014 it hit the bullseye. No-one - save perhaps for regulators working in California - questioned the ascendancy of the mighty diesel engine and Alpina's work on oil burners ranked among the very best. Not hard when you're given BMW's already fabulous 3.0-litre straight six to tinker with perhaps, but Alpina's handiwork well earned its sky-high reputation - and now you could have it with fewer doors and a lower roofline. Win-win.
Flat out, 350hp and 516lb ft of torque ensured the D4 could hit 62mph in 4.6 seconds, on its way to 173mph. With a more delicate right foot, the inline six and its eight-speed auto were also capable of 53mpg and just 139g/km of CO2. Those are NEDC numbers, of course, but even with the old wink-wink optimism gone, the breadth of ability was unquestionably impressive.
It's hard not to compare the performance on offer with the M4 that arrived a year later. Clearly the M4 had more peak performance, but the real-world pace of the D4 was not as far off as you might think. Of course, the cars targeted different buyers; the D4, with only those gorgeous Alpina rims and mild visual tweaks, is more mature and discreet. And drinking from the black pump suggests a level of prudency that no M4 buyer would claim to aspire to.
Nevertheless, Alpina’s chassis know-how ensured that the D4 remained totally convincing in the corners. With a seemingly perfect blend of pliancy and body control, the two-door car turned out to be both direct and forgiving on British roads - building on a rewarding-to-drive legacy which has kept Alpinas appealing for as long as anyone cares to remember. And unless you were partial to rear doors, there were no major drawbacks to the D4 ingredient list.
Today’s Spotted demonstrates it all rather well. The Melborne Red finish is contrasted by black grille surrounds and set off by the silver of the alloys and chrome of the exhaust tips. The black leather cabin has been smartly specced with contrasting red stitching, making for an easy-on-the-eye setting in which to consume a 500-mile tank of diesel. Back in 2014, such a car would likely have set you back fifty-something grand; today with 67,000 miles on the clock, it’s yours for £30k. Which for a car as talented and rare as this, feels like pretty good value for money. Even with the diesel handicap.
SPECIFICATION | ALPINA D4 BITURBO
Engine: 2,993cc, 6-cyl twin-turbo diesel
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 350@4,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@1,500-3,000rpm
MPG: 53.3
CO2: 139g/km
First registered: 2014
Recorded mileage: 67,000 miles
Price new: £52,000
Yours for: £29,995
1 / 3
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 4 3"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1 1"%3E%3C/svg%3E)