Alpina past masters | Six of the Best
BMW has ordained a new era for Alpina - it has some mighty boots to fill...
Alpina Z8 Roadster, 2003, 2k, £275,000
So we finally have an idea of where BMW will take Alpina, now the brand is an in-house commodity. The good news is that the strategy does not want for ambition, with the space between high-end BMWs and Rolls-Royce targeted. Nevertheless, it’s a different approach to the one we’re accustomed to, meaning that modified versions of stock BMW models will be in short supply. That’s a shame, because Alpina traditionally adopted a different (often more interesting) approach to going fast. Take the softer-edged, auto-box’d Z8, a very rare sight in the UK but popular in the States, which is where this one heralds from. The size of the asking price, at least, suggests that BMW’s new masterplan has legs.
Alpina B6 3.5 S, 1990, 84k, £185,000
If the Z8 is too rich for your blood, you could save yourself £100k and buy this, the fabled B6 3.5 S, a car that makes the E30 M3 seem as common as muck. Beyond its rarity, the S variant is significant for two reasons: one, it was actually based on the M3, a quirk that Alpina wouldn’t repeat for decades, and two, it had more power than the M car courtesy of its transplanted (and heavily modified) M30 straight-six. The result, as you might expect, has passed into legend among some E30 aficionados, and ranks as one of Alpina’s most sought-after models. This one has been in the UK since 1991 and is fully restored. Tingle.
Alpina XD3, 2021, 23k, £55,000
Of course, you needn’t have unicorn money in the bank to enjoy the best of Alpina, nor sacrifice family-conveying practicality. Arguably the firm’s most admirable knack was making relatively humdrum BMWs seem all the more pleasant to drive. The XD3 is a terrific example; its 516lb ft of gravelly torque and breathed-on chassis making the equivalent X3 M seem like a try-hard headache in comparison. It was among the first properly fast diesel SUVs when it launched, too, and easily ranks among the best - which is why you’ll pay a premium to own a later version like this one. But it’s exactly the sort of thing which is unlikely to be repeated in Alpina’s new era.
Alpina B5 S, 2008, 128k, PH Auction
Ditto something like the B5 S. Not because it’s beyond BMW to offer an alternative version of the 5 Series, but because it’s unlikely to go to such mind-bending lengths to differentiate the car from the flagship M5. Not only was the B5 based on the 545i, it also featured the H1 iteration of the 4.4-litre V8, an engine that Alpina insisted on supercharging to access the sort of performance it was after. By the time it came to the uprated S, the B5 was developing 530hp. This example, said to be one of only 12 that came to the UK, goes up for auction on Wednesday - expect the bidding to be brisk.
Alpina D4, 2018, 63k, £34,850
Alternatively, if you’d prefer the sort of Alpina that no average passerby would look at twice, there’s always something like this D4. PH recalls being told by someone with intimate knowledge of the bottom line that Alpina’s three-door models were heavily outsold by those with four or more - but that fact simply makes the D4 a nice change of pace. Moreover, it fits the Q-car-ish cruise mould almost perfectly, underwritten not only by the 350hp you get from the ubiquitous (and superb) 3.0-litre straight six, but also the perfect compromise between comfort and control evoked by the overhauled chassis. And all for less than £35k.
Alpina B12 5.0, 1991, 71k, £109,995
Finally, and partly as a nod to the kind of opulent, uber-rare standalone models that its new owner evidently has its eye on, we have the B12 - Alpina’s version of the E31 8 Series, a car originally intended to propel BMW into places unknown. That didn’t quite work out, though it remains a fascinating historical footnote thanks in part to its M70 V12. Predictably, the tuner proved itself more than up to the challenge of modifying even this mighty unit, extracting an additional 50hp. True, it eventually went one better with the bored-out 5.7-litre S70, but good luck finding one of those. Even this one is north of £100k, though expect that to be well south of next-generation Alpina’s starting point...
Also would love a twin turbo E12 B7S like this:
That dizzy makes accessing a Mini's look easy - the engine bay was clearly designed for 91mm bore spacing and not 100mm! Best not to crash it, really...
Mine for the last 5 years which is unusual for me, V8 soundtrack so 1/2 hot rod, 1/2 limo, more chuckable than you'd ever believe and it'll waft in a way that your missus will appreciate too!
Right E-Nr, right colour etc.
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