The BMW 850 CSi was the pinnacle of the E31 8 Series lineup but the folks from Alpina made sure their version was a cut above the stock model.
The official name of Alpina B12 5.7 Coupe told enthusiasts everything they needed to know about this very special 8 Series, namely that it featured a 5.7-liter 12-cylinder engine. That’s because the S70B56 V12 from the stock 850 CSi was bored to 5.7 liters and further tuned courtesy of a modified intake, camshaft and free-flowing exhaust system.
As a result, the mighty V12 was boosted to 410 HP (416 PS) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque. Those were healthy increases over the stock 850 CSi’s 375 HP (381 PS) and 410 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque. The added power made the Alpina B12 5.7 Coupe quicker too, with the performance car expert quoting a top speed of 186 mph (299 km/h) and a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 5.8 seconds.
Related: The Sultan of Brunei Used To Own This Ultra Rare Alpina B12 5.7 Coupe Manual
In true Alpina fashion, the B12 5.7 Coupe received a rather understated styling upgrade, though connoisseurs would easily recognize this was no ‘ordinary’ BMW 850 CSi thanks to the signature multi-spoke alloys, new body kit, carbon-fiber louvered bonnet with central NACA duct, and Alpina decals.
This brings us to the car you see in the photos, which is number 21 of a total of only 57 B12 5.7 Coupes Alpina made. This is one rare bird compared to the 850 CSi of which approximately 1,500 were made.
Finished in Alpina Blue with black leather interior and stitching in green and blue (Alpina’s colors), this particular car has only covered 9,074 km (5,638 miles) from new. Adding to its cachet is the fact that it features a six-speed manual transmission instead of the Shift-Tronic semi-automatic gearbox that was also available at the time. According to the listing, the car is in “very fine condition throughout” and the photos seem to support that statement.
As you can imagine, it’s worth a lot of money but we’ll find out exactly how much on February 5 at the RM Sotheby’s Youngtimer Collection auction in Paris. Right now, it’s estimated to fetch anywhere between €300,000 and €350,000 ($333,870 – $389,510).
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