[JimM6GC]

This seems like an appropriate thread to add my own questions to the mix.

My M6GC has a manual tranny. I love it, but my wife won't touch it. Currently, she drives the CLS55. We were thinking about getting a replacement for the MB (it's getting quite long in the tooth), and a new CLS63 (or even an Audi RS7) is a definite possibility, but the possibility of getting a B6 came up.

We tried to work a deal with the dealer who sold me my M6GC, since they have three in stock, any of which would work. However, like Doug said, they just don't want to deal at all (a little over $1K off seems silly to me on a $130k car). That seems odd to me, for if we must pay MSRP we would much rather order a 2016 B6 with the 6-series LCI (SOP on 3/15).

Anyway, here are my questions: According to the B6 brochure, the B6 focuses on luxury as well as performance. It implies that the B6 is quieter than the M6, and that seems to be implied by the reviews I have read as well. My wife would like that. Anyone have any real-world experience with these cars? Mr. Nguyen?

Also, who works on Alpina cars? It took me 5 hours to get the 1200-mile service done on my M6GC from an M-certified dealer in the Boston area because the tech couldn't properly reset the service memory, and I am somewhat frightened about what may happen if we tried to get an Alpina serviced.

Does anybody know what parts availability is like for Alpinas when the warranty runs out? 10 yrs? 20 yrs? The extremely limited production of these cars (I understand 300/yr for the US market) is somewhat worrisome to me. I would hate to have to drop a 650i engine in there because nobody can find the proper parts to fix the modified engine the car came with or because it costs $10k for a set of piston rings.

Finally, Doug - what info do you have about depreciation? Why do they depreciate so much? Because the M6 is preferable to most people in that price range? Because it costs too much to fix after the warranty runs out?

We can always think about his 'n' her M6GC's, or a 650xi GC w/Dinan, but we really want to give a B6 a fair hearing, since we do get snow where we live.

Thanks in advance to all for any insight.

Jim