1:24 Alpina e46 Sedan (TransKIT)

A treatment that is a brand in itself

Alpina is no ordinary tuning house. The cars that come out of its workshop have type designations of their own and are sold as a separate brand, even though they stand on a base from Munich. Characteristic of them are discreet aerodynamic elements, multi-spoke rims and a stripe along the sides – nothing loud, rather a quiet note for anyone who knows.

A display case for the connoisseur

It is exactly that restraint which makes such a model a rewarding collector's piece. Stand it next to an ordinary 3 Series and the difference is subtle and at the same time unmissable: a different lower edge, different wheels, a different ring to the whole. A collection built on the variants of one type thus reads as considered rather than accidental.

Which scene suits it

A loud setting would go against the sense of the car here. A sterile showroom with a polished floor works better, or a driveway to a villa, or a highway rest area with suitcases stacked by the open trunk. A mirror-smooth base under the model meanwhile does more for the overall impression than an elaborate backdrop.

What to watch out for

The castings are cleaned of parting lines and tried dry, because resin cannot be bent like plastic. A discreet painted surface will not take mistakes, so the surface has to be sanded and sprayed in thin coats. The side stripe is handled with a decal or by masking, and its being parallel with the edge of the body is the key. The stance of the wheels calls for the same care: with this treatment the track width is part of the character of the car and an inaccuracy of a few tenths of a millimeter shows from the front.