We have to admit to being pretty jazzed about the prospect of a new BMW 8 Series. The last one, after all, was one of the sleekest, most “tiburonic” coupes ever to grace the Autobahn.
This one here is a 1991 Alpina B12, which you might consider to – more than the 850CSi – be the M8 that BMW never made in the first place.
It also still looks fresh in its blueish silver paint, with its multi-spoke 18-inch alloys (that was pretty big back then) and two-tone black and tan interior with blue carbon-fiber trim. But with 56,110 miles (90,300 km) on the clock, it’s been around a bit.
In terms of performance, this is a 5.0, mind you, not the rarer and more sought-after 5.7-liter model. So while it still has a V12, it only produces 350 horsepower (not 416). It came with an automatic transmission, and at 6.8 seconds, it takes a second longer to reach 62 miles per hour (100 km/h) from a standstill. But we have a feeling those numbers were pretty conservative, considering that the stock 850Ci on which it was based was quicker with less power.
By modern standards, 26 years later, even an oil-burning 640d convertible will make that run in 5.5s, despite being short by 37 horses and laden with a few hundred more pounds. But to our eyes, the 6 Series could never look anywhere near as sweet as this puppy, listed in Spain for €119,990 – or $130k at current exchange rates. Here’s hoping the new 8 will be stylistically worthy of the nameplate.
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