The E36 is the best, and one of the coolest iterations is – unsurprisingly – a model that never officially made its way across the open sea. With only 221 units in existence, the ALPINA B8 4.6 is one of the rarest BMWs – E36 or otherwise – ever made. And now, number 49 is up for auction in a place it was never intended to end up – the United States – via online auction site Bring a Trailer. Complete with a US title (Georgia, technically), this V8-powered E36 is one of the best ways anyone could spend what’s expected to be several tens of thousands of their hard-earned dollars.
What is an ALPINA B8 4.6?
So, first things first – what exactly is an ALPINA B8 4.6? If you’re stateside and less than an obsessive E36 fanatic, your ignorance is excused, if not expected. ALPINA succeeded where BMW couldn’t, and managed to cram a V8 engine under the hood – of course, after making small adjustments to the chassis. The V8 they chose was an M60 engine lifted from the E34 5 Series, but ALPINA hardly left well-enough alone.
As the name suggests, the M60 engine under the hood now displaces 4.6 liters instead of 4.0. Higher compression Mahle pistons, new timing, new Motronic programming, and a new sump (the E34’s wouldn’t fit) system join the bigger bore. Due to the car’s size differences and other considerations, the car needed a unique exhaust system, too. The V8-powered E36 produces 333 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque, powering the rear wheels via a six-speed Getrag transmission and a limited-slip differential.
Aesthetics Matter
The ALPINA B8 4.6’s hardware changes promise it drives as good as it looks, and does it ever look good. This example wears iconic ALPINA Blue paint with gold graphics along the side, and sports equally iconic 17-inch ALPINA wheels. A model-specific decklid spoiler and lip spoiler round out the changes that you won’t find elsewhere in the E36 lineup. Things are pretty neat inside, too. Unique Recaro-sourced seats feature an ALPINA coloring along the backrest, and the sweet Euro steering wheel sits in front of blue ALPINA gauges. It’s even got a plaque denoting which number it is – in this case, it reads “0049.”
There are few comparable cars to look at for an idea where pricing might land. Despite covering around 99,000 miles since new, this car is probably going to command a tremendous premium over, well, pretty much any other E36 imaginable. For reference, a 3.0-liter ALPINA E36 with a five-speed sold for $26,000 in 2022, and a B3 3.2 Touring with a six-speed sold for $40,000 earlier this year. While I’d love to withhold the link in an attempt to reduce the bidding competition, the auction ends next Monday, and I’ll see you in the bids in the Bring a Trailer auction.
[Photo for media use provided by Bring-a-Trailer]
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
Source: BMW BLOG
