Rebirth of the BMW 2002 turbo? The Alpina B6 2.8!

Thomas Wachsmuth July 3, 2023 -> Cars from AZ, Alpina, News vehicles, Tuning classics

Reading time 4 Min.

The first "REAL" Alpina, the B6 2.8, saw the light of day in November 1978 and in a way represented the successor to the exciting BMW 2002 turbo, since BMW itself did not have a correspondingly powerful model in the E21 range at that time. However, instead of relying on turbo or compressor charging, the engineers at Alpina opted for the powerful one 2,8-liter six-cylinder engine (M30B28) from the E23 728i or E24 628i into the E21, which already provided a sovereign drive in the models. But the small E21 was not only significantly lighter than its larger siblings, Alpina also significantly refined the engine: both cylinder head as well as the Block were modified and forged Mahle flask found their way into the engine.

The Alpina B6 2.8

The B6 2.8 was also the first production car with a fully electronic ignition system (contactless Hartig computer ignition system with high-voltage distribution) into history. It also featured Pierburg/Zenith DL electronic fuel injection, making the 1978-1981 free-breathing straight-six quite impressive 200 PS and 248 Nm developed. A performance-enhanced version with Bosch L-Jetronic and AFT ignition even brought it up from 1981 218 PS and 265 Nm, which features a Getrag revised for Alpina 245 5-speed manual transmission were taken to the streets.

Thanks to the impressive performance, the B6 2.8 had a stronger motor than the (much newer) touring car icon E30 M3 and even the "small" 200 hp version achieved faster times on the Hockenheimring than the 240 hp Porsche 928 sports car Incidentally, Alpina missed the B6 2.8 with regard to the chassis Bilstein gas pressure shock absorbers, stiff awl springs and thick anti-roll bars for impressive road holding. The classic Alpina 20 spoke rims had the format 6 × 15 and 7 × 15 inches and were combined with 195/50 and 205/50 tires.

No. 051/533: A piece of Alpina history

The example of the B6 2.8 presented here bears the production number 51 and was acquired in December last year as part of the "Youngtimer Collection" of the internationally renowned auction house RM Sotheby's in Miami Beach, Florida auctioned. The low serial number indicates that this is an "early" B6 2.8, manufactured in June 1979. The sports sedan was originally painted in the color Polaris (060) before it was delivered to its first customer by Max Heidegger AG based in Triesen/Liechtenstein – then as now the official Alpina importer for Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. The historical list of optional equipment includes extras such as power steering, electrically adjustable door mirrors, a mechanically operated steel crank sunroof and a 25 percent locking differential.

It is uncertain whether the characteristic Alpina interior, consisting of blue/green striped Recaro sports seats, a four-spoke Momo sports steering wheel, a wooden gear knob and additional instruments at the bottom of the center console, has been preserved in its original condition or whether it has been restored in the meantime. What is certain, however, is that the velor seats would have been in surprisingly good condition, given the mileage on the speedometer, which reaches up to 260 km/h, of a good 154.000 km if they had not been refurbished in the meantime.

From Polaris to cypress green

In the course of history, the Alpina changed its hue cypress green metallic, a color that suits the B6 2.8 perfectly. Initial records show that the car remained in Liechtenstein until 1995, before being based in the Swiss canton of Bern until 1999. Another entry in the vehicle history indicates that the "B6-051" was registered in the Netherlands in November 2011. As of 2020, the Alpina resided in Dubai, where it was housed along with other classics in a well-stocked automobile collection. The beautiful specimen was well received at the auction and fetched a proud price: The hammer fell at 67.200 US dollars, i.e. around 61.000 euros according to the current exchange rate.

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