One of the things that really helped put ALPINA on the map as a car manufacturer was the fact that their ludicrously powerful and fast creations were built in limited numbers back in the day. ALPINA started off by tuning BMWs and some say they are still doing that to this day, but on a different scale. However, back then, as the production capability of the Buchloe-based car maker was limited, only a few tens of cars could be built. One car that was created during that initial phase was the BMW Alpina B7 S Turbo.
As a matter of fact, ALPINA only built 60 of them and out of that limited supply only a few still live on today. If you ever drooled over one, this is your chance to own a piece of history. A pristine 1982 model is going up for auction, thanks to the people over at RM Sotheby’s, and it’s quite a sight to behold. According to them, the car only had three owners during its lifetime and it was first bought by someone in Japan.
The most recent owner bought it in 2012 and used it occasionally in New Zealand. Now, it is looking for a new owner and it still looks fantastic. The exterior ALPINA Sapphire Blue paint seems to be original and in great shape, as is the interior which hasn’t been restored. The engine bay had some work done, having been restored less than 4,000 kilometers ago. Right now, the odometer shows 118,200 kilometers which isn’t as low as some collectors would want but it’s not too bad either.
Back in 1982, the ALPINA B7 S Turbo was the fastest four-door car in the world. It used a 3.5-liter engine just like its BMW counterpart but, as the name implies, it was turbocharged and had 330 HP and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque at its disposal. Those numbers are similar to what you might find on modern-day B58 engines.
Thanks to these high levels of power, the ALPINA B7 S Turbo could keep up with the Ferrari 308 GTB and that’s quite an impressive feat. The auction is going to take place in Paris on February 5.
[Note: Not the actual car shown here]
