ALPINA B6 3,5S(e-30)

Many consider the first-generation BMW M3 to be the best drivers car ever built by BMW. But the M3 was built far more for competition and serious road use than for everyday transportation with it´s raw four-cylinder engine which is not nearly as smooth as a straight-six. The M3-based Alpina B6 3,5S, which is considered to be one of Alpina´s finest efforts ever, had the best of both worlds with the performance of the powerful and smooth 3,5 litre six-cylinder engine mixed with the handling capabilities of the M3. That is what I call "the ultimate driving machine". Unfortunately only 62 cars were produced between November 1987 and December 1990.

Engine/Gearbox

The engine is exactly the same unit as in the "ordinary" B6 3,5. It is based on BMW´s 3,5 litre six, which produces 218 bhp. Alpina´s version produces 254 bhp. To read more about the engine click on B6 3,5 on the menu to the left. But the two cars don´t share the gearbox. Both cars have Getrag 5-speed units but the B6S has a "sportgetriebe" with the first gear down to the left. Also called a dogleg gearbox.

Suspension/Brakes/Wheels

The B6S share the chassie with the standard M3 which is considered to have probably the best chassie ever built by BMW. The only difference is that the B6S is equipped with the springs, at front, from the A/C-equipped M3´s. Those are a little bit stiffer to handle the exrta-weight. The brakes are the same as in the B6 3,5 but the wheels are 8in wide both at front and rear with 225/45 tires.

Interior/Exterior

In the interior, Alpina has made the same changes as in the B6 3,5. They include new seats with blue and green stripes, a new leather-covered steering wheel, gear-knob, new digital instruments and some other minor changes. The only exterior changes are the stripes, optional in gold or silver, and the wheels.

Performance

Alpina claimed a 0-100 km/h time of 6,6 seconds, the same time as the B6 3,5. But in higher speeds the B6S is a little faster thanks to better aerodynamics. It also has a higher top-speed of 251 km/h. That is 3 km/h faster than BMW´s ultimate M3, the M3 Sport Evolution.

Pictures