Euro Love - My New ALPINA

[RyanV]

I've had this under wraps for a while now, but I can't hold it in anymore. I am the proud owner of a 1996 Alpina 4.6 B8 . Never heard of it? Well you Euro guys probably have, but most people from North America probably have no idea this car even exists. I didn't have any idea until about a year ago when I saw a 4.0L Japanese version pass through auction. I started to read about the car and I was absolutely stunned. The specs in short:

221 cars built with 93 of them being the saloon model I have purchased
This is build #63
Started with BMW 4.0L engine
Alpina head
Getrag 6spd gearbox
Similar suspension etc as other Alpina's except front brakes are custom Lucas rotors with special calipers (....I really hope I don't have to replace these soon....)
Alpina accents (first owner didn't order Alpina badges seats though)
Claimed 0-60 in 5.6, however it has been suggested that this is conservative
333 hp, 470 Nm

For more information and specs check out the Alpina Archive:

http://www.alpina-archive.com/?page_id=59

My car....Isn't going to win Alpina of the year. It needs some work. It has the usual E36 problems such as sagging roof liner. The paint isn't perfect, and I'm suspecting will need a respray make it look good. However, I'm not concerned about this for the near future. The fake wood trim additions by Alpina is cheap and split in several locations (see photo). Cap on gear nob is cracked This disappointed me more than anything else. I'm not sure why, but it did.

Aside from these defects, the car comes with all original books and a full service history. It also comes with a very long "Shaken Vehicle Inspection" history from it's time in Japan. Being the 4.6 model this vehicle was imported into Japan when it was new and sold at a dealership new when it was originally imported to Japan in 1996. It presently has 99,xxx kms.

ETA sometime in the next week or two, so I should have it in my possession before the end of September. As with my '92 Aristo Mark from Brave Auto International helped me get this car ( Brave Auto International - Exporter of Japanese JDM & European Vehicles Direct From Japan. ). Mark was a champ as always and helped me get my bid in on this car and answered e-mails even though he was away on holidays.

Time for some pics

[Xanicron]

WOW. I'm speechless.

What a stunning car.

Congratulations.

[Kingsoup]

wow! never knew they put the 4.4 stroked in a 3 series! pretty awesome! thats a sick car man!

[RyanV]

oops...I meant to not post this thread until I got the pics working....guess I didn't cancel it like I thought last night.

Can a Mod change the title of the thread? I meant it to say "Euro Love - My New Alpina!"

I'll have to change the pics after I get them uploaded at a different site I guess. I don't know why they get displayed like that when I host them on CA.

[GregA]

Hot. And that's not because I'm in Milan and it was 32 today. Love the car. I'd kill for a proper Alpina.

[Soren]

Damn! That first pic.. What's the silver car?
Seriously, I can't believe how awesome this is. I think you'll certainly take Alpina of the year here! So cool, so rare, and so surprising. 8cyl is the coolest thing about this I think, just so... So different than what bmw did. Awesome. Looks in great condition too, despite your reports to the contrary. Should be super fun. I made your changes too. I'll add you on the master thread once I get to a computer - too hard on the tablet.

[RyanV]

Thanks guys!

I've wanted to try out one of the BMW V8's for a while now, and I've always wanted to own a car with a V8 as well. I was also looking at getting a M3, but I really wanted the Euro 3.2 M3 saloon. Unfortunately, they didn't sell these new in Japan, so my only chance would have been if one was imported to Japan. I think this will be a better choice

Although, I might still have an M3 twitch....just for the sound of that engine...Hopefully, this car stops the itch though because I really don't have anywhere else to store any more cars.

[RyanV]

Damn! That first pic.. What's the silver car?

Ummm...can you be more specific? There is one behind my car that can only barely be seen (white) then there are those other two vehicles side by side that one is silver one is white. Oh, and then there is a silver van of some sort when looking from the rear of the car.

[Ringo]

Wow, simply amazing. Always been intrigued by the Alpina and I am now super jealous. How easy do you think it will be to get parts?

[dah_hunter]

At the dock on friday, there was one of these.. Funny that you just got one. It was bi-turbo, alpina v10.. Not as clean as this one.