This BMW Alpina B7 Turbo Comes From An Era When Sedans Could Spank A 911

Alpina has a long and illustrious history in turning BMWs into rocketships and this E28 B7 Turbo is no exemption; in fact this is one of the rarest classic super sedans ever created and coming across one is a reason for celebration.

The specific example of the Alpina B7 Turbo is one of just 278 examples ever made, and apparently fitted with a five-speed manual transmission, as we can see on the Enthusiast Auto Group website who has it listed for sale. Don’t let the B7 badge fool you, as it was later on when Alpina decided to assign it on its 7 Series-based cars.

The ad goes on saying that this B7 Turbo was also the display car at the Tokyo Motor Show in its debut year. Finished in Schwarz Blue Metallic, the car lived in Japan until 2015, when it was imported and fully federalized into the States.

Power comes from a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine (code B7/3 for the nerds out there), upgraded significantly by Alpina with things like lightweight pistons, a modified cylinder head, different camshafts, a reprogrammed Motronic injection, a performance exhaust and of course a turbocharger. Alpina claimed no less than 320 HP and 384 lb-ft (520 Nm) of torque, which was simply mind-blowing for a sedan of this period.

0-62 mph (100km/h) was a matter of 6.2 seconds, while top speed was set at 163 mph (262 km/h). Modest numbers by today’s standards but back then, the Alpina B7 Turbo would chew a Porsche 911 and spit it out of the back like nobody’s business.

Other mechanical revisions included an Alpina oil cooler, a limited-slip differential, a bigger fuel tank, bigger brakes and a set of staggered 17-inch wheels. The car is also fitted with Alpina’s rare and fully functional air-conditioning system and a so-’80s-it-hurts cockpit-adjustable boost knob. This specific example is described to be in excellent condition, with its owner having spared no expense for its maintenance. The odometer shows just 59,345 miles.

Super sedans would never reach the heights of today if it wasn’t for lunatics like Alpina doing their magic back then and for that, this B7 Turbo deserves all the love it can get.