Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tag: BMW

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

2015 BMW X6

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes, though, I wish the eye was that of Polyphemus. Do you know the story of Polyphemus? Better known as the ‘Cyclops’ from Homer’s great epic The Odyssey, the giant Polyphemus had it out for Odysseus and his men and was planning to eat them all. But Odysseus tricked him, getting him drunk and telling him that his name was “Nobody”. When Polyphemus passed out, Odysseus heated up a stake of wood and shoved it into Polyphemus’s remaining eye. The giant awoke, screaming “‘Nobody’ stabbed me!”, much to the amusement of his fellow giants who thought he was drunk and being tortured by the Gods. The story is apropos when considering the X6 for several reasons. First, though it’s a phrase often used when considering the X6, I believe it was Car and Driver who summarized the X6 as the answer to a question nobody was asking. Secondly, I bet you thought nobody could make the X6 uglier. But, you and I were both wrong as this custom X6 proves. In fact, this grotesque creation has me wishing Odysseus had stabbed me in the eyes:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2015 BMW X6 on eBay

10 Comments

Tuner Tuesday: 1995 Alpina B12 5.7 Coupe

Bold. It’s a word not often associated with Alpina. In fact, if anything traditionally Alpinas have been anything but bold. Tasteful, certainly, but they seem to almost blend into the BMW lineup as if they were originally part of it. Indeed, today they are – offered through your local BMW dealership almost as a factory option like floor mats, you can get a monster Alpina tuned version of your car. But if bold is loosely defined as being striking or vivid, few Alpinas would really capture the attention of the general public as anything more than a normal production BMW. But the design of the E31 was bold with the wedge shape redefining production series BMWs. And this particular version of the E31 – the Alpina B12 5.7 – is pretty striking too, with giant wheels filling out the design nicely. The drivetrain of the B12 5.7 was pretty bold too, with a over 400 horsepower from a naturally aspirated V12. But it’s this singular example of the B12 that is perhaps the most bold. Painted Giallo, it’s arguably the most eye catching color to coat a E31, yet somehow suits it well with the black striping. Bold also is the strategy of trying to sell the car with only one photo and no description outside of a telephone number and some very basic details of the car. But perhaps the most bold thing about this E31 is the asking price, which despite the 90,000 miles on the clock is advertised at a stunning $221,000:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Alpina B12 5.7 Coupe on eBay

2 Comments

Honorable Mention Roundup

The “Honorable Mention” post from last week seemed to be a popular choice, so I’m back this week with another selection of cars we didn’t get a chance to get to. We’ve got one from each major manufacturer this time around which makes for an interesting and diverse group. Which is the one that deserved a better look this time around?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Audi Quattro on eBay

7 Comments

1988 BMW M5

Any time I step outside of the 911 market I’m almost always amazed by what else can be had for fairly reasonable prices, even when the other cars themselves are found within escalating markets. I think we’re all familiar with the market for the e30 M3 and how that has gradually dragged values of other similar-era M cars upward. Enter one such car: the e28 M5. There are few cars identified with a particular model segment moreso than the M5 is with the performance saloon. If you want a fast sedan your first thought is probably German and very likely the M5. These were the cars that really got things started and even today they look good and can offer an excellent driving experience. Their proportions are spot-in with a litheness that few modern cars approach and much of the appeal surrounding any of these cars is derived from that pared down aesthetic. They were built with a purpose and with little waste. The example here may provide a litmus test for how much the market for these wonderful machines has been raised: a 1988 BMW M5, located in California, with 94,720 miles on it.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 BMW M5 on eBay

3 Comments

1995 BMW M3 Lightweight

The year was 1994, and BMW brought some pre-production M3s in Dakar Yellow to various tracks around the U.S. to engage their primary target audience; enthusiasts. I still remember seeing them and being both very excited and slightly let down. From a performance standpoint, even in turned-down U.S. form the M3 was a potent small sedan. 240 horsepower was top of the small car market back then and around a track, stock for stock the E36 was easily a match for the outgoing fan-favorite E30. Coupled with an eye-searing color, it was an impressive and modern package that I loved. But I also loved the street-racer aspect of the E30, and that was something that the E36 didn’t capture well….at first. That was remedied later in 1995 with the introduction of the “CSL” version of the E36. Stripped out, available only in Alpine White and with Motorsports GmbH details throughout, the M3 Lightweight channeled both the E9 3.0CSL racers that started the M trend and captured the spirit of the E30 with its giant, adjustable rear wing and splitter. Instantly these began popping up at track events; despite the entire production run of only 126 cars, it wasn’t uncommon in 1995 and 1996 to see 4 or 5 of these special cars turn up and trounce all the other cars with ease. Since new, these limited edition M3s have always held more value than nearly all of the rest of the model run – and as prices of all things M rise, it’s no surprise that it appears the tide is carrying them up as well:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 BMW M3 Lightweight on eBay

5 Comments