Press "Enter" to skip to content
Warning!
We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.

Category: BMW

This site contains Ebay partner affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.

1979 Alpina B6 2.8

Published July 5, 2021 by Carter

Launched in 1978, Alpina’s B6 model took the 2.8L inline-six out of the big brother E12 528i and stuck it into the chassis of the E21 323i. Revisions from Alpina yielded 200 horsepower; pretty impressive for the period – but more was to come, as a new induction system in 1981 cranked it up to nearly 220 horsepower. For some perspective, the ‘high-performance’ L82 Corvette cranked out 220 horsepower at the same time. Coupled with Alpina’s aerodynamic revisions, improved suspension, and awesome turbine wheels – not to mention some fantastic interiors – it’s no surprise that these were popular; at least, by Alpina standards. The company sold over 500 of the model, though they’re relatively hard to find today. Today’s beautiful ’79 is number 66 of the run, and for good measure it’s been turned up more than a few notches.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1979 Alpina B6 2.8 on eBay

Read Our Post1979 Alpina B6 2.8
7 Comments
1993 BMW 850CSi Individual

1993 BMW 850CSi Individual

Published July 4, 2021 by Carter

I came of driving age during the reign of the E31, and I still remember magazines taunting that the M8 would soon be with us. Of course, it never came – at least, not until today. But we still did get an E31 breathed upon by the Motorsports division in the spectacular 850CSi. The heart of the CSi was a special ‘S’ motor. In this case, BMW Motorsport GmbH took the M70 and beefed it up seriously. Bored out to 5.6 liters and with compression bumped up and revised electronic programing, the resulting S70 took BMW’s V12 from 296 horsepower to 372 with 420 lb.ft of torque on tap. Macht schnell, indeed! But there were a host of other changes; offered only with a manual 6-speed gearbox, the CSi also got a quicker steering rack, Euro M5 brakes, shorter and stiffer springs, and M System II ‘Throwing Star’ 17″ staggered wheels. A new body kit made the elegant E31 look much more menacing, too. Europeans even had the option of 18″ M Parallels and, amazingly, 4-wheel steering.

In 1993, this car cost almost $110,000. Today that’s nothing, as you can spec a special-order M3 up to that amount. But back then? That was nearly the price of three M3s. These super coupes have never really come down in price, as like their contemporary the 928GTS, they have maintained an aura of unobtainium and sacredness to a generation of motoring enthusiasts. Today’s example is one of the more special ones out there, as inside and out it was finished by BMW’s Individual department – and boy, is it stunning.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 BMW 850CSi Individual at Auto Leitner

Read Our Post1993 BMW 850CSi Individual
2 Comments
1998 BMW M3 Sedan

1998 BMW M3 Sedan

Published July 3, 2021 by Carter

While the E30 320is was the defacto M3 Sedan of the first generation, it was not until the E36 generation that fans finally received a full-fat four-door small M. The sedan was then skipped on the E46 generation (I can hear ZHP fans shouting that their car is a real M right now), returned for the E90 generation, and then became the only body style thereafter as BMW introduced the new 4-Series nomenclature. Since its launch in the US for the ’97 model year, the M3 Sedan has been a niche model within a niche lineup on performance cars; practical and good-looking in a way that the long-door coupe sometimes lacks proper proportion in. Indeed, to me the most recent three generations of M3 Sedans look better than their two-door counterpart. While I’m not sure I feel the same way about the E36 generation, it’s nonetheless great to see one surface in a nice color with lower mileage, as many were loved well and driven hard. This Estoril Blue Metallic example I’m looking at today sure looks the part; but I’m not sure the juice is worth the squeeze:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 BMW M3 Sedan on eBay

Read Our Post1998 BMW M3 Sedan
2 Comments
2001 BMW 740iL

2001 BMW 740iL

Published June 26, 2021 by Carter

Back in 2018 I took a look at a special package offered on the E38 – the Highline:

2001 BMW 740iL Highline

Unlike most BMW special editions, the Highline wasn’t full of M badges and didn’t offer greater performance; it was, effectively, just some really nice colors paired up for the exterior and interior. Today’s car is not one of those, but like the Highline it’s appearing here specifically because of the color – Criollo Metallic (446). Let’s take a look:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2001 BMW 740iL on eBay

Read Our Post2001 BMW 740iL
Comments closed
1971 BMW 2800CS ‘Batmobile’ Replica

1971 BMW 2800CS ‘Batmobile’ Replica

Published June 12, 2021 by Carter

BMW’s revolution and rebranding through racing started on March 25, 1973. At the Monza 4 hours race in the European Touring Car Championship, the CSL legend was born. Massive box flares, huge BBS magnesium race wheels and deep front spoilers adorned the delicate E9 coupe now, and the iconic German Racing White with blue and red stripes following the lines of the hood and sides of the car. And with drivers like Hans-Joachim Stuck, Chris Amon, and Dieter Quester, Jochen Neerpasch’s BMW Motorsport would go on to win many races and establish the brand that would later launch the infamous ‘Batmobile’ CSL, the 2002 Turbo, and of course the M brand. Prior to 1973, the top flight races were run by BMW through their partners Alpina and Schnitzer, and indeed the BMW Motorsport entrants at Monza failed to finish, with Niki Lauda at the hands of an Alpina E9. A few races later, the rear wing was introduced by BMW Motorsport, and in the hands of Dieter Quester the first BMW Motorsport win was recognized at the 24 Hours of Spa on July 22, 1973.

The 3.0 and later 3.5 CSLs would continue to race and win for a few years, establishing the brand as a serious contender to the established Porsche in the sporting market. And of course, the homologation road-going version has been a hot commodity since new, inspiring plenty of replicas. That is exactly what we have today – originally, a 2800CS that has been converted to look like a later CSL:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1971 BMW 2800CS ‘Batmobile’ Replica on eBay

Read Our Post1971 BMW 2800CS ‘Batmobile’ Replica
3 Comments