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Tag: Alpina

1985 Alpina B7 Turbo/1

It was a simple, straightforward solution – but its effect was profound. By adding a KKK K27 turbocharger to BMW’s M30 inline-6, Alpina made quite a splash and firmly cemented its name in the hallowed halls of the ‘World’s Best Tuners’. The result of that marriage coupled with adjustable boost, an intercooler and special injection was 300 horsepower and 340 lb.ft of torque – in 1978! Even the much-lauded and celebrated Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera had less power from more displacement; the 3.3 turbo flat-6 produced 265 horsepower and 291 lb.ft of torque. If the Porsche 911 Turbo was a supercar killer, the B7 Turbo was a 4-door 911 assassin. The Alpina was the real deal, and ever since then they’ve been at the sharp end of the world’s fastest sedans.

Beyond just looks, the Buchloe firm of course added signature deep chin and pronounced trunk spoilers. Large (for the period) 16″ alloy wheels wore 225 section tires in the rear to help transfer that power, while specially specified Bilstein shocks were mated with stiffened and lowered Alpina-spec springs and sway bars. Inside, sport seats were outfit with Alpina’s beautiful striping, while extra gauge pods read out critical engine performance measures.

The second generation of B7 launched in 1984, and some 236 were made through 1987. A catalyst-equipped version was introduced in 1986 and added another 42 to the tally of E28 B7 production. The standard B7 Turbo/1 used much of the same formula as the E12 generation had, and again it was a 300 horsepower monster at the top of the food chain. Today, you can be owner of #66 of this exclusive club:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Alpina B7 Turbo/1 on eBay

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1992 Alpina B10 3.5/1

This E34 Alpina sold for $26,000 on 1/10/2022.

It’s hard to imagine being the bottom of the totem pole at Alpina, but the 3.5/1 might just be that car. In part that’s because the E34 lineup was so robust, featuring the cool 3.0 Allrad and the Learjet-channeling BiTurbo. When BMW ceased the production of the M30, V8 powered 310 and 340 horsepower 4.0 and 4.6 models replaced the inline-6. In comparison to those headliners, the 254 horsepower B10 3.5/1 seemed like an article more suited for the corner of page 2. However, consider for a moment that the B10 3.5/1’s power numbers were nearly identical to the contemporary super-saloon S38-powered E28 M5 when it was launched and it helps to restore some clarity to the impressiveness of the products rolling out of Buchloe. Today chassis number 520 of the 572 3.5/1s produced is up for sale in Indiana:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1992 Alpina B10 3.5/1 on eBay

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1992 Alpina B6 2.8/2 Sedan

The Alpina B6 continued from the E30 generation in the new E36 chassis in 1991, while the last of the prior generation cars were still in US showrooms. Alpina took the basic M50 and shape of then-top-of-range 325i and upped the ante; they bored the displacement to 2.8 liters, stuck Mahle pistons, a special exhaust, Bilstein shocks, 17″ wheels, and the normal assortment of aerodynamic tweaks and interior details to create the B6 2.8/2, which could be had in coupe or sedan form. With 240 horsepower on tap, it offered M3-level performance two years before the E36 M3 debuted.

While these are the least potent of the E36 Alpina variants, they’re still quite special and very rare – just 40 coupes and around 180 sedans were produced before the B6 3.0 replaced it in mid 1993. Today’s example comes from Japan and is chassis number 11.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1992 Alpina B6 2.8/2 Sedan on eBay

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1975 BMW 3.0CSL Batmobile Group 2/4 Replica

Back in June I took a look at the roadgoing version of the CSL ‘Batmobile’ – well, at least a replica of one:

1971 BMW 2800CS ‘Batmobile’ Replica

I talked about the race exploits of the FIA and Touring racing cars, and today we’re looking at a replica version of one of those.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1975 BMW 3.0CSL Batmobile Group 2/4 Replica on eBay

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1979 Alpina B6 2.8

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

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