Hey guys.

So I am higly considering purchasing this soon: http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-over-5K-1993-BMW-Alpina-B3-0-Coupe-W0QQAdIdZ44221296


Does anybody here know anything about this car?

The seller claims its a real Alpina, and it does have all the cosmetics (front lip, pinstripes, trunk spoiler, steering wheel, shift knob, rims, trunk badges, and lowered) But what troubles me is that on the dash there is no plaque from Alpina like every other picture of B3's i've seen online. There is what looks like the letters from a trunk badge that say A L P I N A on the glovebox trim piece. There is also no Alpina name on the motor anywhere.

These two things are leading me to believe that it may just be a very nicely done up 325. I took it for a test drive but i've never actually driven a 325, only my 318, so I'm not exactly the best judge on the power. It felt relatively fast, but I wasn't exactly blown away by it.

I would be very disapointed if it turns out that it just has an M50 with 190hp and not the Alpina tuned one with ~250hp. And, from what i've researched there is no outward visible differences between the M50 and the Alpina tuned motor.

The seller doesn't have any reccords for it, and the car did come from Japan. He showed me his registration and its insured as an Alpina B3 3.0. The car was very, very clean and had no rust anywhere.

I gave the VIN to Alpina and they said in their records it is not one they produced. This is a big red flag, BUT, if this isn't, somebody went to a big extreme to make a fake B3. It has every single cosmetic piece, and the owner even has it registered as a B3.

So anyway, does anybody here know about this car? Does it look like a good deal? What do you guys think?

He posted it up on beyond.ca as well. But if you've got an e-mail from Alpina saying it's not an Alpina, then that's the golden ticket.

Can you please forward me a copy of the letter or e-mail (audiophilea@hotmail.com) so I can bring it to the attention of the moderators on the other forum?

If it's not a Alpina, avoid it would be my call.

Did the vin you gave alpina start with WAP, the alpina's have to vins, one which is for the car itself, and one from the alpina plant. Did you give them both vins? Atleast with the B10's i know there is 2 vins.

Did the vin you gave alpina start with WAP, the alpina's have to vins, one which is for the car itself, and one from the alpina plant. Did you give them both vins? Atleast with the B10's i know there is 2 vins.

Nope, it started with WBA. I have read about the two VIN's but have never actually seen a picture of how this looks. Where exactly is the Alpina VIN on your B10?

The car was imported from Japan a few years ago. The only VIN i could find on the car was on that area directly beneath the wipers under the hood. It was stamped on a piece of metal underneath that plastic cover that would be directly on top of the cars computer. Do Japanese cars not need to have VIN numbers anywhere else?

And BTW, is yours that red e34 i've seen around town a few times? I've always liked that car.


97'scort, sure thing. Just let me finish clarifying a few things first. The ad seems to have disapeared from beyond anyway.

my car came with an M badge on it.

it's not an M.

lies can be made.

I know i've seen that car around town, and the guy was driving it like a total asshole. Lots of rev jumping and trying to make a go of anyone who would make eye contact. I laughed when he tried to get me to go with my M42.

Man you should be able to tell the difference in power between 190 and 250. That is like the 325 and the m3. Or it should feel similar to say an e46 330.

Hey Double, ya thats my red one in town. the alpina vin is stamped on the shock tower in the front, either on the driver or passenger side, cant remember off the top of my head.

Hey Double, ya thats my red one in town. the alpina vin is stamped on the shock tower in the front, either on the driver or passenger side, cant remember off the top of my head.

Is it for sale? I saw a red one listed in Edmonton.

Alpina never made a B3 3.0 in 1993.

The Alpina B3 3.0 was only manufactured between 1995 and 1998.

We have done some Alpina conversions in our shop for customers with extra cash and they can look really authentic, but in the end, they are still a "Fauxpina"

First off, real thing or not if it's a '93 it was not "imported a couple of years ago." At least not legally - 15 year rule.

Fake Alpinas are common in Japan, and lots of effort goes into making them look real. Depending on the year of the car (in general) the BMW VIN on the front shock tower will be crossed out and an Alpina VIN will be stamped in. Older cars don't necessarily have this (cars that pre-date BMW stamping the VIN into the shock tower), but even so, they will have an Alpina builder's plate under the hood.

In any case, if you contacted Alpina and they said it wasn't one of theirs, it's not a "red flag" it's a definite no-no. It may be a nice 325i, but it's no Alpina.

Alpina never made a B3 3.0 in 1993.

The Alpina B3 3.0 was only manufactured between 1995 and 1998.

We have done some Alpina conversions in our shop for customers with extra cash and they can look really authentic, but in the end, they are still a "Fauxpina"

How about a B12 Alpina like this one?

http://www.usededmonton.com/classified-ad/5513527&category=sports-cars

The valve cover says Alpina.

Sorry if my question seems out of place but as my sig states I am a VW guy, but am moving over to the BMW side of the house as dragged by my daughters interest.

It looks authentic, right down to the period style pin striping. BTW, it says Alpina on the Plenum cover, not the valve cover. You can't see the valve covers very easily on the V12.

The best thing to do is send the serial number to Alpina, that's the only way to be 100% sure. It looks like a dealer, so you can just tell them you would like the SN so you can verify the cars authenticity with Alpina.

It seems pretty pricey, especially for the mileage. It had better be in near Concours condition.