| Engine | Displacement | Power | Acceleration | Top Speed |
| V12 | 5.0-5.7 L | 350-416 bhp | 5.8-6.4s | 280-300 km/h 174-186 mph |
One of the fastest cars to wear an Alpina badge was the B12 – and in fact, there were two different cars carrying the same name. There was the Alpina B12 based on the four-door BMW 7 Series sedan, and there was the Alpina B12 Coupe built on the 8 Series. The B12 Coupe was a proper upper-class GT. Fast, comfortable… with a touch of luxury. It was created to satisfy customers for whom an ordinary BMW simply wasn’t enough. By turning to Alpina, they could feel a certain sense of exclusivity, while still retaining the advanced engineering of these German machines and their remarkable driving characteristics – AND they could even feel an improvement over the standard 8 Series.
The 8 Series was introduced in 1990 as the successor to the BMW E24 6 Series. It was not a pure sports car, but rather a large GT powered by either a V8 or a V12. The 850i served as the basis for the Alpina B12 5.0, but when BMW Motorsport unveiled its 850CSi, it turned out to be so good that Alpina chose that very car as the foundation for building the B12 5.7 Coupe.
The Alpina Coupe was available exclusively as a V12, and it had an incredibly difficult task ahead of it, as very serious competition was waiting both on a domestic market and abroad. It had to exist in the world where there was the Porsche 928 – and from 1992 onward, also in GTS form, with a larger V8 smoothly delivering at least 350 cheerful horses. 5.5 seconds to 100 km/h was still slower than I take my whiskey, but already dangerously close to the Testarossa of that era (the 512 TR did it in 5.0 seconds). And Porsche, after all, was a 2+2 GT – not a supercar. So in terms of performance, the rivalry was fierce.
And when it comes to prestige… there was also something like the Mercedes 600 SEC roaming the German autobahns. This was the coupe variant of the S-Klasse – of the third generation, coded W140 (C140 for the Coupe) – and by that point it already had a 6.0-liter V12 making 400 horsepower (or nearly 400, depending on the facelift). So the driver of something like that really had no right to complain about mid-range acceleration. And when it comes to ride comfort and equipment, I only have two words to say: S-Class. Thank you for your time. Any questions?
You could say that Gran Turismo is a very tightly defined niche, but even on that shelf there is plenty of room for reshuffling. The competition was highly varied: the performance-focused Porsche, the luxurious Mercedes, and the well-balanced Jaguar. Each of them was a natural rival to BMW, and Alpina had to be better than ALL OF THEM. That is why it introduced its own alternative to the 8 Series – more exclusive, and loaded enough to provide the driver with sensations unmatched by any competition.
Alpina made changes to the car’s aesthetics, but also carried out mechanical modifications to underline its dominance in performance. The architecture of the E31 8 Series was a very good base to work with. The BMW 850i was an exceptionally well-thought-out car (and I will likely show it myself before long), which meant Alpina already had a lot to gain from the very start.
It certainly looked the part, because BMW had given it sleek, aerodynamic lines, though naturally it did not go without Alpina touches both outside and inside the car. The E31 was fitted with some clever suspension with Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs. So at that point it had both the comfort and the driving dynamics, because the E31 delivered the ideal balance – while also leaving its rivals behind in that regard.
It had to be powered somehow, too – and what sat at the base was BMW’s 5.0-liter V12. It had an aluminum-alloy block and made somewhere in the region of 300 horsepower. Alpina made their changes first raising the output to 350 horsepower, and later increasing displacement to 5.7 liters (410 hp).
It was essentially a ‚double straight-six,’ as it had two distributors, a set of ignition leads for each bank of six cylinders, and a twin air-filter setup of the kind you would normally associate with that layout. The crankcase had been designed specifically with a V12 in mind, but the block itself, the crankshaft, the connecting rods, and all the manifolds remained unchanged. The pistons were thrown out and replaced with ones of higher compression, enlarged intake valves were fitted – they lifted higher and with more aggressive timing – and Bosch ECU control was added as well. Aside from the manifolds, the entire stainless-steel exhaust system was completely new.
The gearbox remained the same 4-speed automatic as in the 5.0-liter BMW, but Alpina reworked its programming so it could fully exploit the car’s new capabilities. Later on (for the 5.7), there was a 6-speed manual Getrag, as well as ShiftTronic with an electronically controlled clutch. This is the only Alpina ever offered with such system.
Inside, there were bespoke made-to-order elements, special color options, and unique upholstery – beyond everything you could already get in the most expensive BMW E31s. Alpina drivers had their own seats and different interior trim than in a standard BMW. From the outside, the car differed only in the details.
Depending on the version, the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5.5 to 6.4 seconds and reach as much as 174-186 mph. Even the 5.0-liter V12 variant was one of the fastest GT cars of its time. The B12 was something magnificent. It combined colossal, supercar-worthy power – but delivered it in a smooth manner – with the refinement of a luxury limousine.
The suspension modifications ensured excellent handling, while the might of the V12 delivered effortless acceleration and exciting sound sensations coming from the exhaust. The regular BMW 8 Series was already a magnificent GT, but the B12 stood above all of them in terms of technology and class equipment. The car remained stable at any speed, inspired confidence in the corners, and braked hard. All of that had to amplify the sense of certainty behind the wheel.
It was a strong entry into the fast GT market. The press fell in love with the car immediately. It hardly had any flaws, while the list of advantages seemed endless. It was a serious contender in this segment right from the start, because it combined Alpina’s craftsmanship with BMW’s underlying architecture.
Machine was prime and price for it was prime – but there was never a shortage of buyers for this car. Even its rivals had to give the Germans their due. People began to recognize the strength of this market segment, and before long, new large coupes would appear, all competing in performance, refinement, and exclusivity. In a way, Alpina opened everyone’s eyes to the true value of this corner of the industry.
The Alpina B12 E31 Coupe is now a true icon of the 1990s, and one of the better – yet also rarer – classics of the era. It stands as a symbol of Alpina’s peak achievements and of their collaboration with BMW. The finest blend of comfort and luxury with performance and emotion – sharpened with a touch of exclusivity. In seven years, fewer than 200 examples of both versions of this model were built. Today, it is a real prize for collectors, available only for very serious money.
Krzysztof Wilk
All sources: it was a text retrieved from my lost webpage – sources will need to be filled later
SRT 