Alpina D10

Alpina D10: which version to buy

The Alpina D10 catalogue lists one generation (1999–2003), one body (Sedan), and three versions: 2.9 MT, 2.9 AT (gross weight 2170 kg), and 2.9 AT (gross weight 2310 kg). All three share 245 hp (180 kW), 500 Nm, 2926 cc, Diesel fuel, 6 Inline cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, Turbo, RWD, a 70 L tank, and 120 mm ground clearance.

Alpina D10: which version to buy

The Alpina D10 catalogue lists one generation (1999–2003), one body (Sedan), and three versions: 2.9 MT, 2.9 AT (gross weight 2170 kg), and 2.9 AT (gross weight 2310 kg). All three share 245 hp (180 kW), 500 Nm, 2926 cc, Diesel fuel, 6 Inline cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, Turbo, RWD, a 70 L tank, and 120 mm ground clearance. The buying choice is not “which engine,” because displacement, power, and torque do not change. It is which gearbox, which peak-rpm map, and which gross-weight rating you accept.

People search “Alpina D10 Biturbo,” “E39,” “Touring,” “for sale,” and “mpg.” This catalogue has no Biturbo label, no E39 code, no Touring body, no prices, and no fuel-consumption figures. Those searches still map to the same three named versions below.

Alpina D10 versions compared (specs)

Power per litre is the same on every row: 245 hp ÷ 2.926 L ≈ 83.7 hp per litre. Peak torque is the same 500 Nm. The table does not hide a hidden “hotter” engine; it shows three calibrations of one 2926 cc Diesel Turbo Inline 6.

Which generation changed what

There is only 1 generation (start 1999-01-01, stop 2003-12-31). No second generation, no restyling generation, no later body. Generation-to-generation arithmetic is not available: you cannot buy a later D10 with more hp or a different tank from this dataset. Every buying comparison is inside this one Sedan generation.

Inside that generation the split is:

• 2.9 MT: Manual, 6 gears, power peak 3500 rpm, torque peak 1800 rpm, 0–100 7.2 s, top speed 254 km/h, kerb 1625 kg, gross 2170 kg, wheels not measured, engine position Front, longitudinal, fuel system Distributed injection (multi-point), compression not measured, bore × stroke not measured.
• 2.9 AT (2170 kg gross): Automatic, 5 gears, power peak 4200 rpm, torque peak 3500 rpm, 0–100 not measured, top speed not measured, kerb not measured, wheels 235/40 R18 and 265/35 R18, compression 16, bore × stroke 84 × 88, engine position not measured, fuel system not measured.
• 2.9 AT (2310 kg gross): same Automatic 5 map as the other 2.9 AT, same 4200 / 3500 rpm peaks, same 16 compression, same 84 × 88, same wheels, same not-measured 0–100 and top speed and kerb — only gross weight is 2310 kg instead of 2170 kg.

Engine: 2.9 MT vs both 2.9 AT maps

All three versions are 2926 cc Diesel Turbo, 6 Inline, 4 valves, 245 hp / 180 kW, 500 Nm.

The 2.9 MT puts 245 hp at 3500 rpm and 500 Nm at 1800 rpm. Both 2.9 AT versions put 245 hp at 4200 rpm and 500 Nm at 3500 rpm. Same peaks, later in the rev range on Automatic:

• Power peak is 700 rpm later on 2.9 AT (4200 − 3500).
• Torque peak is 1700 rpm later on 2.9 AT (3500 − 1800).

If you want the 500 Nm as low as this catalogue records it, 2.9 MT is the only version with a measured 1800 rpm torque peak. If you want the Automatic 5-speed, you accept a measured torque peak at 3500 rpm.

Compression 16 and bore × stroke 84 × 88 are measured only on both 2.9 AT rows. On 2.9 MT those two figures are not measured. Engine position Front, longitudinal and Distributed injection (multi-point) are measured only on 2.9 MT. On both 2.9 AT rows those two are not measured. Do not treat the missing AT fields as “no injection” or “unknown layout in the real car”; in this catalogue they are simply not measured.

Gearbox: what the extra ratio buys

2.9 MT is Manual with 6 gears. Each 2.9 AT is Automatic with 5 gears. That is one extra ratio on the Manual (6 − 5 = 1), and a different transmission type, not a different engine.

There is no measured 0–100 or top speed on either 2.9 AT, so you cannot prove from this dataset that the sixth gear is faster or slower in a sprint. You can only say: the only timed run in the file is 2.9 MT at 7.2 s to 100 km/h and 254 km/h top speed.

Performance and economy (mpg)

• 2.9 MT: 0–100 7.2 s, top speed 254 km/h. City, highway, and combined consumption not measured. CO2 not measured. Eco class not measured.
• 2.9 AT (2170 kg): 0–100 not measured, top speed not measured, all three consumption figures not measured, CO2 not measured, eco class not measured.
• 2.9 AT (2310 kg): 0–100 not measured, top speed not measured, all three consumption figures not measured, CO2 not measured, eco class not measured.

Searches for “Alpina D10 mpg” hit a wall here: mixed, city, and highway fuel use are not measured on any version. You cannot rank the three by economy with arithmetic on empty cells.

The only performance ranking the numbers allow: 2.9 MT is the only version with a measured sprint and a measured top speed. Neither Automatic can be called quicker or slower than 7.2 s / 254 km/h from this file.

Dimensions and weight: 1625 kg vs two gross ratings

Ground clearance is 120 mm on all three. Tank is 70 L on all three. Those two do not decide the purchase.

Kerb weight is measured only on 2.9 MT: 1625 kg. On both 2.9 AT versions kerb is not measured, so kg per hp is not measured for Automatic.

On 2.9 MT, mass per horsepower is 1625 ÷ 245 ≈ 6.63 kg/hp. Gross-to-kerb headroom on 2.9 MT is 2170 − 1625 = 545 kg of payload-and-fluids allowance in the catalogue sense (gross minus kerb).

Gross weight:

• 2.9 MT: 2170 kg
• 2.9 AT (first Automatic in the list): 2170 kg
• 2.9 AT (second Automatic): 2310 kg

The two Automatics differ by 2310 − 2170 = 140 kg of gross rating. Same 245 hp, same 500 Nm, same 5-speed Automatic, same 120 mm, same 70 L, same 235/40 R18 and 265/35 R18. The extra 140 kg is the only measured difference between the two identically named 2.9 AT rows. Relative to 2170 kg that is 140 ÷ 2170 ≈ 6.5% more allowed total mass.

If you need the higher plated mass, the 2.9 AT with 2310 kg gross is the only D10 version that records it. If you do not, the 2.9 AT with 2170 kg gross matches the Manual’s gross figure.

Wheels: 2.9 MT sizes are not measured. Both 2.9 AT versions list 235/40 R18 and 265/35 R18 (staggered front/rear listing as given). Buying the Manual from this catalogue does not give you a recorded tyre size; buying either Automatic does.

Brakes and springs do not split the choice: Independent, spring front and rear, Ventilated disc front, Disc ventilated rear on all three (rear label as in the English data field).

Which Alpina D10 version to choose

Choose 2.9 MT if you want the only measured 0–100 (7.2 s), the only measured top speed (254 km/h), the only 6-speed Manual, the lowest recorded torque peak (500 Nm at 1800 rpm), the only kerb weight (1625 kg), and Front, longitudinal plus Distributed injection (multi-point) as recorded. You accept: wheels not measured, compression not measured, bore × stroke not measured, consumption not measured.

Choose 2.9 AT (gross 2170 kg) if you want Automatic 5, the 235/40 R18 and 265/35 R18 set, compression 16, and 84 × 88, while staying at the same 2170 kg gross as the Manual. You accept: 0–100 not measured, top speed not measured, kerb not measured, engine position not measured, fuel system not measured, torque peak 3500 rpm instead of 1800 rpm, power peak 4200 rpm instead of 3500 rpm, and one fewer gear than 2.9 MT.

Choose 2.9 AT (gross 2310 kg) if you want the same Automatic 5 package as the other 2.9 AT, but 140 kg more gross mass (2310 vs 2170). Nothing else in the measured columns is different from the 2170 kg Automatic: still 245 hp, still 500 Nm, still 2926 cc Diesel Turbo Inline 6, still RWD, still 70 L, still 120 mm, still the same two 18-inch sizes. You still have 0–100, top speed, kerb, consumption, engine position, and fuel system not measured.

There is no “more powerful” D10 in this file. There is no later generation that adds hp or cuts weight. The arithmetic that actually changes the decision is: 6 gears vs 5; 1800 rpm vs 3500 rpm for 500 Nm; 3500 rpm vs 4200 rpm for 245 hp; 1625 kg kerb measured vs kerb not measured; 2170 kg vs 2310 kg gross; wheels not measured vs 235/40 R18 and 265/35 R18; 7.2 s / 254 km/h measured vs performance not measured.

Reliability and “problems” are not in the launch data, so they are not ranked here. Prices and “for sale” listings are not in the data, so they are not ranked here. Fuel use (mpg) is not measured on any of the three versions. The buy decision that this catalogue can support is gearbox, rpm map, plated mass, and which fields you refuse to leave as not measured.