2003 Alpina V8 Roadster

The Alpina company, located a few hours away from the BMW factory, is considered by German officials as a car constructor rather than a tuner. With regard to the BMW Z8, Alpina merged luxury and performance with the roadster's retro-inspired appearance. The BMW Z8 was already a luxurious and high-performance automobile, but the Alpina touches brought them to new levels, with engine tweaks bringing it to 375 horsepower and 383 foot-pounds of torque. It was backed by an uprated version of the five-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters from the contemporary E39 M5. The cockpit featured a bespoke instrument cluster, three-spoke Alpina steering wheel, and softer napa-tanned hides. The 18-inch BMW wheels were discarded in favor of 20-inch wheels.

450 of the 555 Roadster V8s were earmarked for American dealers. This particular black-over-red example is a North American car that has been kept in two private collections since new. It has a matching hardtop and stand, a tool kit, a first-aid kit, and an owner's manual.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2020