Story by Johan Dillen
You expect stripes, but there aren’t any. You expect exclusivity, but you don’t detect that, either. But for some time, this unassuming creation was the fastest wagon available on the market. Full stop.
Ohne is the German word for without. It appears a few …
I absolutely love BMW, but Alpina has just never appealed to me. This is definitely a great wagon, but I'd much rather have an M5.
Tool kits are indispensable for any canoe owner. Sooner or later, you will need to use a wrench or a ratchet. Besides, you can save money if you fix your canoe. With a decent range of tools, any repair task is feasible. No more frustration due to a bolt you cannot reach. So, what makes the best canoe tool kit?
In reply to edwardyork :
I do find that a nice set of tools is invaluable when converting my autocross car into a canoe!
In reply to AaronT :
And that account's been disabled. But funny post.
So, kinda related, yesterday I saw an E39 "M5 estate" that's a friend's shop recently sold. I shouldn't see those kinds of things.
350z247 said:I absolutely love BMW, but Alpina has just never appealed to me. This is definitely a great wagon, but I'd much rather have an M5.
I really like old school Alpinas ... anything before and including e30s, I lust for.
I actually have all the parts to convert my e30 to a C1 Alpina clone. Most of the parts are nla, luckily I bought everything 10 or so years ago, including the stripe kit. I need to get my stuff together and install it.
This to me is beautiful:
To answer the original question: "Is This Alpina Wagon the Perfect Mix of a Sleeper and a Unicorn?"
I think a strong case could be made. Practical, fast, invisible and oh-so-rare.
I agree that the existence of Alpina is a bit odd given the strength of BMW's M division especially in the 80's and 90's. But hey, this wagon floats my boat.
It's like Ruf vs the GT cars. I'm happy that Ruf exists, but I'd rather have a GT3.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Alpina in Germany is one of the few companies that is considered a manufacturer. They assign their own VIN given that they would completely rework the car.
They have an extensive racing history stretching back to the 60's. Some people chose them instead of an M as there really were no Ms until the mid to late 80s other than an M1. For example, I would much rather have an Alpina B3, or even a C2 2.7, than an e30 M3.
In the late 90s they started doing more cosmetic upgrades and maybe going into the dme for power instead of reworking the engine internally.
350z247 said:It's like Ruf vs the GT cars. I'm happy that Ruf exists, but I'd rather have a GT3.
But back in the 80s or early 90s when this wagon came out ... there was no 911 GTanything.
In reply to Slippery (Forum Supporter) :
That was just an additional example. As I said before, I prefer the M division cars to Alpina. I'm glad Alpina exists, but they just aren't for me.
Keith Tanner said:To answer the original question: "Is This Alpina Wagon the Perfect Mix of a Sleeper and a Unicorn?"
I think a strong case could be made. Practical, fast, invisible and oh-so-rare.
Works for me. I would happily drive that car every day.
In reply to Slippery (Forum Supporter) :
Do it.
Also, I might have spent a portion of last night looking at BMW wagons online. Hmmmm....
I owned a '94 540i M Sport with the 6 speed manual. I never drove an M5 from that era, but that 540i was a nice car. Comfortable enough to daily, fast and with good handling for a big sedan. Mine had low miles and I sold,it for more than I paid. A wagon version would have been awesome!
Update: The more I think about it, the more I want a BMW wagon. :)
Seems like after a few months of thinking about it, you would already have a BMW wagon. You need one, nay, more than that, you deserve one. Hold out for a car with 3 pedals.
When I was a kid, I knew a guy whose parents had a Hemi Belvedere wagon. I don't know if his father swapped the motor in, or if it came like that, but it was fast
Guy I got my 914 from had a 1970 Hemi Roadrunner convertible. Basket case when he got it, one of like 4 made, brought better money than any of the wing cars he had.
In reply to Toebra :
The hard decision: Is a wagon cooler than the M3?
All other things being equal, in a 3 series BMW, Wagon>Coupe>>Sedan>>>>>>>>Convertible, due to lack of torsional stiffness, which over rides the coolness factor of a convertible. There is a mathematical proof of this somewhere
All the "M " or Alpina parts will bolt on to a wagon. Pretty sure this has the makings of a most excellent Frankenstein vehicle that by a happy confluence of avocation and tax code, would be tax deductible for someone like yourself.
The question is not really should you do it. It is more a matter of how exactly this has not already happened yet? Have Suddard the Elder put Suddard the Younger on it. All you have to do is put gas in it and write about what a sublime union of Bavarian Motor and Chassis they have wrought.
Sadly, I once the let the perfect wagon slip through my fingers: E46 with a stick, rear-drive and no sunroof. I know, I know. I had just gotten the rallycross Impreza wagon, though, and figured I’d find another one later on.
A few years later, my parents offered us their E9x wagon. Clean car. They replaced it with an F31 wagon, so maybe third time’s the charm.
Lately, E36 wagons have caught my eye.
This one sold back in 2018, but it's the one that will likely haunt me the most: 1998 BMW Alpina B6 2.8 5-Speed Wagon sold via BaT for $12,500. It's even in the right color.
Have you checked out United Imports in Jax? They seem to have a constant supply of e30 and e36 wagons available. And they're close!
dyintorace said:Have you checked out United Imports in Jax? They seem to have a constant supply of e30 and e36 wagons available. And they're close!
Quiet, you. 
Wait, are you trying to say you came here to get talked out of buying an e36 wagon? This place is enablers anonymous.
"Hi, my name is Dave, and I have a problem with 30 year old German station wagons."
"Hi Dave, here is the website you are looking for."
You'll need to log in to post.
