1986 Alpina B6

The Bavarian-based tuner and race car builder Alpina was founded in 1965 by Burkard Bovensiepen, and they concentrated exclusively on BMW motor cars. Since 1983, they have been recognized by the German Federal Ministry of Transport as a manufacturer in its own right. They began building a range of modified BMW road cars in the mid-1970s, and by the mid-1980s, they were competing directly with AMG and BMW's own M-Sport Division. In March of 2022, Alpina was officially acquired by BMW.

Before Alpina's acquisition by BMW, the two enjoyed a symbiotic partnership, with BMW honoring a full factory warranty on all Alpina-modified models. Alpina models were later sold side-by-side with BMW's own M products.

When BMW introduced its E30 3-Series, Alpina began work on creating something truly special and unique. The original M20B25 2.5-liter straight-six engine was bored out to 2.7-liters, custom flathead pistons from Mahle were installed, along with harder valve springs, a revised ignition system, a more aggressive camshaft with higher lift and duration, and a higher compression ratio of 10.2:1. Compared to the stock 325i, output rose by an additional 40 horsepower (to 210 horsepower), bestowing it with a top speed of 140 mph. This made the B6 2.7 the fastest E30 on sale before the larger engine B6 3.5 became available.

Along with upgrades to the engine, Alpina added a dry sump lubrication system, its own custom exhaust system, and a close ratio five-speed gearbox.

A total of 67 examples were produced.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2023