Alpina
Alpina has closer relations with BMW than any other tuner. On many occasions Alpina have run racing teams on behalf of BMW and their accessories are often available through normal BMW dealers. In recent years AC Schnitzer products have also followed this trend in the UK.
The company builds vehicles in it's own right in addition to supplying parts which others use to upgrade their own cars. This is an important distinction, a genuine Alpina car is a package of upgrades designed and tested to work together, it is more than just the sum of its parts. Many "Alpina cars" are nothing more than standard BMWs with Alpina wheels, body pack and maybe a new steering wheel.
Gorgeous B12 with traditional Alpina stripes.
Alpina have been improving BMWs since 1963 when they first breathed life into the "Neu Klasse" four cylinder saloons with carburettor upgrades. One of the guiding philosophies of Alpina's work has been to gain performance without compromising reliability, this has ensured the company's reputation for quality.
They've modified most post-war BMWs over the years. Sometimes a long running BMW model would even have several Alpina variants. Many of these cars were built to exact customer requirements so specifications can vary quite a lot between cars with the same designation.
E30 based Alpina C2 2.7
In Germany Alpina are regarded as a manufacturer in their own right and a car's registration documents should reflect this if it's genuine. Paradoxically an Alpina costs less to insure than its BMW Motorsport equivalent in Germany! This is explained by the fact that the Alpina is rarer and thus easier to identify if stolen. That's certainly not the case with UK insurance but does go some way to explaining Alpina's popularity.
I'm sure many of you will suggest additions to the following table, I must update it for the more modern cars sometime.
There are more details on individual models on other pages:
Not all paint jobs were tasteful in the 70's!
| Model | Year | Platform | Engine (cc) |
Cyl. | Power (bhp @ rpm) |
Torque (lb/ft @ rpm) |
0-60 | Max speed (mph) |
| B6 | 1978 | E21 | 2788 | 6 | 200 @ ? | ? | ? | ? |
| B7 Turbo | 1978 | E12 & E24 | 2985 | 6 | 300 @ 6000 | 341 @ 2500 | 5.9 | ? |
| B7S Turbo | 1984 | E28 & E24 | 3453 | 6 | 330 @ ? | 332 @ ? | 5.8 | 162 |
| B2.8 | 1983 | E28 528i | 2788 | 6 | 192 @ 5800 | 174 @ 4200 | 7.6 | 132 |
| B9 | 1983 | E28 528i | 3453 | 6 | 245 @ 5700 | 231 @ 4500 | 6.4 | 153 |
| B6 | 1979/84 | E21 & E30 | 2788 | 6 | 210 @ 6100 | 206 @ 5000 | 6.9 | 143 |
| C1 | 1984 | E30 323i | 2.3? | 6 | 170 @ ? | ? | ? | ? |
| C2 2.7 | 1985 | E30 325i | 2693 | 6 | 210 @ 5800 | 213 @ 4500 | 6.9 | 140 |
| B10 | 1987 | E34 535i | 3453 | 6 | 261 @ 6000 | 240 @ 4000 | 6.1 | 150 |
| B11 | 1988 | E32 735i | 3430 | 6 | 260 @ 6000 | 246 @ 4000 | 7.6 | 152 |
| B6S | 1989 | E30 M3 | 3453 | 6 | 260 @ 6000 | 236 @ 4000 | 6.0 | 156 |
| B10 Bi-turbo | 1989 | E34 535i | 3430 | 6 | 360 @ 6000 | 384 @ 4000 | 6.3 | 180 |
| B12 | 1989 | E32 750i | 4988 | V12 | 350 @ 5300 | 347 @ 4000 | 6.9 | 171 |
| B12 Coupe | 1990 | E31 850i | 4988 | V12 | 350 @ 5300 | 347 @ 4000 | 6.2 | 175 |
| B6 2.8 | 1991 | E36 325i | 2752 | 6 | 240 @ 6000 | 213 @ 4700 | 6.6 | 156 |
| B3 | 1993 | E36 | 2997 | 6 | 241 @ 5800 | 227 @ 4600 | 6.6 | 156 |
| B10 4.6 | 1993-5 | E34 540i | 4619 | V8 | 340 @ 5700 | 353 @ 3900 | 6.3 | 167 |
| B8 4.6 | 1995 | E36 | 4619 | V8 | 333 @ 5700 | 346 @ 3900 | 5.6 | 175 |
| B12 5.7 | 1995 | E38 750i | 5646 | V12 | 381 @ 5200 | 405 @ 4000 | 6.4 | 175 |
| B12 5.7 Coupe | 1995 | E31 850CSi | 5646 | V12 | 408 @ 5400 | 420 @ 4000 | 5.8 | 186 |
| B3 3.2 | 1996 | E36 | 3152 | 6 | 257 @ 5800 | 243 @ 4200 | 6.0 | 160 |
| B3 3.3 | 2000 | E46 | 3.3l | 6 | 280 @ 6100 | 261 @ 4300 | 5.5 | 165+ |
| B12 6.0 | 2000 | E38 | 6.0l | V12 | 430 @ 5400 | 441 @ 4200 | 5.7 | 182 |
| D10 Bi-Turbo | 2001 | E39 | 6.0l | V8 diesel |
245 @ 3500-4200 | 370 @ 1800-3500 | 6.8 | 158 |
I am very open to corrections or additions to this table.
Known Problems
Alpina spare parts can be harder to get and may be more expensive than normal BMW equivalents. In the UK only some dealers carry an Alpina parts catalogue.
History is important on older models to ensure worn components, such as suspension parts, have been replaced with correct Alpina parts.
If buying an Alpina be sure you are looking at a real Alpina and not a regular BMW with just Alpina wheels and badges. There are quite a few fakes out there. That said not all Alpinas have the same upgrades, it depends on the original buyer's choice. My own Alpina B10 3.5 didn't come with an alpina front spoiler but kept the original //M-Tech version instead.