The 8 is back!
“BMW and ALPINA present to you a true work of art in the form of the most powerful, most masterfully crafted and most expensive series-produced Gran Turismo of German origin”. With this “light-hearted” proclamation, ALPINA founder Burkard Bovensiepen introduced the BMW ALPINA B12 5.7 Coupé to the press in 1992. Based on the BMW 850 CSi Coupé (E31), 57 units of the V12 classic were produced in an exclusive small series in Buchloe at the beginning of the 1990s. Together with the BMW ALPINA B12 5.0 - of which only 97 units were built between 1990 and 1994 – these extraordinary Coupés spearheaded the ALPINA model portfolio of that time.
“Road rocket”
The driving performance? Breathtaking! It was not without reason that the press referred to the BMW ALPINA B12 5.7 as the “road rocket”. The BMW ALPINA B12 5.7 Coupé can reach a top speed of 300 km/h – the first model to do so in ALPINA’s corporate history.
Under the striking carbon hood is a 5.7-litre V12 engine that delivers a power output of 416 hp – a gain of 36 hp compared to the BMW it is based on. Thanks to a maximum torque of 570 Nm, the power delivery – by standards of those times – is almost never-ending. With a compression ratio of 10:1, a though-flow optimised, powder-coated intake system and a stainless steel exhaust system with stainless steel exhaust manifolds and metal catalysators, the 2-valve engine attains optimum thermodynamic efficiency. With these technical refinements, the twelve-cylinder engine not only offers enthralling power characteristics, but also an unmistakeable, sonorous V12 sound.
ALPINA heritage
In addition to the unique leather upholstery with blue-green details, the interior also features polished burr wood and the ALPINA production plaque with individual build number. The 18-inch wheels in the classic 20-spoke design and the ALPINA Deco-Set give the exterior of the Coupé the unmistakeable appearance of a super rare ALPINA classic.
5.7-litre engine displacement, 57 exclusive automobiles.
The press release that introduced the BMW ALPINA B12 5.7 declared: “The pleasure of owning this 300 km/h fast automobile comes at a price, and possession of it will be limited to a select few – not least because of its elaborate manufacture, much of it by hand”. Only 57 specimens of the V12 classic were produced at the Buchloe automobile manufactory between 1992 and 1996. Nowadays, the Coupé is a rare, sought-after collector’s item. Nevertheless, as Burkard Bovensiepen already made clear during the vehicle presentation: “You do not have to own this automobile to marvel at it; without doubt, it is a landmark at the pinnacle of German automotive engineering.”
Technical data
Engine V12
Engine displacement 5,646 cm³
Power output 306 kW (416 hp)
Maximum torque 570 Nm
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h 5.8 seconds
Maximum speed 300 km/h
