RE: Sensational Alpina B12 (E38) for sale
Discussion
ate one too said:
Having been fortunate to actually have been driven in both, I rather prefer the newer car. As a place to spend time in, it's more relaxed, comfortable (the seats do this reclining thing with under calf support as if you're in a business class flight as well as massage you pretty well!), cossetting and quiet in the newer car than the older one, believe it or not. Plus, let's not even talk about comparisons in infotainment with the newer cars 31in 8K ultra widescreen compared with the terrible infotainment system in older car...
Also, not a fan of the black interior in that B12.
Edited by mrclav on Sunday 22 January 16:34
GTRene said:
Lovely. looks like new in the pictures, although sadly they (first owner) did not opted for the sport seats.
also >
The very early Sytner Alpina’s had standard red needles and white Alpina logo’s applied to the standard BMW clocks. Around 1995 when Alpina took all production in house certain rhd models were sold in such small numbers that Alpina just left the rhd mph white on black BMW instruments in place whereas the lhd cars had red needles and white on blue km/h speedos that went to 320km/h approx 200mph. This left those rhd cars with enough performance to easily go over the end of their speedos, eg;also >
story said:
The only odd thing about the B12 is that Alpina didn’t use a bespoke speedo. They usually do, and my understanding is the B12’s top speed was 173mph, which means you’re going to run out of numbers on the Autobahn.
seems strange, every B12 I've seen online has the ALPINA written in the dash cluster, see this example what I mean from another e38 B12 Alpina.E34 B10 4.6, top speed ‘over 170mph’, Speedo stops at 160mph
E38 B12 5.7, top speed ‘over 175mph’, Speedo stops at 155mph
E38 B12 6.0, top speed ‘over 180mph’, Speedo stops at 155mph
Even some early E39 B10 cars have white on black instruments until Alpina and VDO got their act together and the red/white on blue instruments became available.
Barry at BMR has now become a bit of an electronic wizard and can convert a set of E39 Alpina instruments into E38 Alpina instruments. I know both UK lwb B12 5.7 cars have had this done and there may be more done by now.
FilH said:
Anyone know what the list price was for a B12?
Would love to have the money to waste on that and daily it
I do miss my old E38 750 and the smooth turbine like engine noise
In 1998 a BMW 750i was c£70k and the swb B12 5.7 was £100,000 with the lwb listed at £108,000. The 1997 lwb car had lots of extras and was c£140,000 otr.Would love to have the money to waste on that and daily it
I do miss my old E38 750 and the smooth turbine like engine noise
By 2001 the B12 6.0 swb was £85,000 and the lwb was £90,000.
The spinner of plates said:
McGee_22 said:
In 1998 a BMW 750i was c£70k and the swb B12 5.7 was £100,000 with the lwb listed at £108,000. The 1997 lwb car had lots of extras and was c£140,000 otr.
Wow, £140k then is over £250k today! 
And it has Alpina clocks now...
McGee_22 said:
FilH said:
Anyone know what the list price was for a B12?
Would love to have the money to waste on that and daily it
I do miss my old E38 750 and the smooth turbine like engine noise
In 1998 a BMW 750i was c£70k and the swb B12 5.7 was £100,000 with the lwb listed at £108,000. The 1997 lwb car had lots of extras and was c£140,000 otr.Would love to have the money to waste on that and daily it
I do miss my old E38 750 and the smooth turbine like engine noise
By 2001 the B12 6.0 swb was £85,000 and the lwb was £90,000.
rare6499 said:
mrclav said:
ate one too said:
Having been fortunate to actually have been driven in both, I rather prefer the newer car. As a place to spend time in, it's more relaxed, comfortable (the seats do this reclining thing with under calf support as if you're in a business class flight as well as massage you pretty well!), cossetting and quiet in the newer car than the older one, believe it or not. Plus, let's not even talk about comparisons in infotainment with the newer cars 31in 8K ultra widescreen compared with the terrible infotainment system in older car...Also, not a fan of the black interior in that B12.
Edited by mrclav on Sunday 22 January 16:34
Infotainment is now the measure of a good car?
The E38 is a bonafide classic - the current model won’t ever be remembered. It’s a design failure, regardless of how good its infotainment is.
I read an article in the Road Rat that basically said a lot of the Brunei royal family cars are in a sorry state of repair, allowed to rot away not at all pampered, simply because no-one could actually use the number of cars owned and there was no real plan in place for their up-keep (the sultan and his brother were buying them faster then they could keep track of what was being bought)
This one does appear to have been used though, so maybe it was well looked after!
This one does appear to have been used though, so maybe it was well looked after!
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff