ALPINA B10 3.5

Posted on: 16 September 2023

The E24 is a very special Beemer.

Before the E30M3 came along and took over the track spotlight, the E24 635csi was racing in the touring car championships - and winning those races.

It’s a fantastic package, and I think it’s the second prettiest BMW shape ever.

An E24 635csi is a car that I would love to own someday.

The ride is comfortable yet sporty. The engine is great, and sounds great too. And it is quick enough

to enjoy on any road. It has that X factor that we all want in a car, it makes the driver feel special.

The standard 635csi is a true gentleman’s cruiser that would be hard to improve.

ALPINA (the german auto tuning company that made a business out of making BMW vehicles a

step better since 1962) actually turned the 635csi into a more appealing super cool highway.

machine.

ALPINA’s subtle changes are unmistakeable and really stand out.

ALPINA purchased BMW shells from the german auto manufacturer, then sorted their own setup on the motor, interior as well as the exterior of their bespoke vehicles.

The finished product provided better performance, better handling, and an alternate look to the standard production BMW vehicles. Some ALPINA cars are even quoted as being direct competition to ///M cars.

Although ALPINA cars weren't cheap, their customer base grew - and they had to open larger factories and recruit new partners all around the world.

For any BMW enthusiast, ALPINA is the height of brand exclusivity and loyalty.

It’s no wonder that BMW AG themselves used ALPINA to help them with some of the BMW Motorsport models, as ALPINA had been modifying and racing BMWs on track before BMW themselves started their ///Motorsport outfit.

There are a few different variants of the ALPINA E24s. All are straight6 M30 motors with some being turbocharged and tuned to over 500nM, while others are normally aspirated.

The model we see here is the last of the latter. Hence the codename B10.

The B10s used the 3.5 M30 motors from the 635csi but with ALPINA’s own camshaft, ECU and a

retune, the power output is almost 60bhp more on the standard n/a 635csi.

Being a right hand drive version it would have been a UK spec, built by Sytner UK, an official ALPINA partner.

On the exterior ALPINA always makes it known that their cars came off the ALPINA factory floor.

There's a lot of ALPINA decals and badges all over. They have their own bespoke front and rear aprons as well as their own rubber boot spoilers.

On the interior ALPINA provide their own seats which are Recaros with the ALPINA coloured striping running along the front and rear seats.

They also install their own leather trimmed steering wheel, and behind the beautiful and firm steering wheel, the cluster is also labeled with an ALPINA logo.

For a BMW fan, the ultimate wheel is an ALPINA wheel, and this has one of the most desirable of them all.

The standard 17” (rather than the 16s) multispoke Chapue wheel with cap and keylock is a stylish and very desirable item in its own right.

It is a wheel that can compliment generations of BMW cars.

The suspension is the standard ALPINA with Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs.

The parcel shelf houses the standard ‘BMW Sound System ‘ which I think is a first that I've seen in a Beemer, showing the unspoilt originality.

The Royal Blue exterior paint colour tells us that is a very rare spec. One of just 44 built between 1985 and 1987.

This is the only B10 Coupe that I have seen or heard of in SA.

If I could change one thing on this car, it would be the front indicator lenses. From the bleak looking white back to the original orange. I think it would make such a huge difference. Other than that, it’s perfect.

An E24 plays a huge part in my passion for the BMW brand, as I was introduced to a brand new 635csi early in my childhood days.

As a youngster the front dashboard with all the lights and buttons felt like an airplane, and the rear bucket seats was just a fantastic feature to look at and sit in. An E24 cemented the premium image of BMW Automobile’s prestige in my books.