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Boutique E36: 1994 BMW Alpina B3 3.0

The E36 chassis of the BMW 3 Series is one of the company’s most accessible models, but unfortunately, there aren’t too many pristine examples of the sporty compact left. Most E36’s, especially performance oriented ones, which were driven hard and put away wet. However, this 1994 BMW Alpina B3 3.0 is available here on Craigslist or the seller’s website, and it seems like it’s in fantastic shape.

This example is available in Kirkland, Washington with a clean title. Alpina built just 741 B3 3.0 models (this is the 127th produced), so this E36 is certainly a rare bird. Additionally, the seller includes plenty of documentation regarding both the vehicle and its past maintenance.

The exterior looks like it’s in great condition, with the blue paint shining brightly. Each of these Alpina models includes an exclusive ground effects kit, exterior badging, and 17” multi-spoke wheels.

Inside the cabin, you’ll find cloth seats with the blue and green Alpina colors, as well as various wood trim elements. There’s also an Alpina-exclusive steering wheel, but be careful when driving this – as an early E36 model, it does not have any airbags.

This example has covered 139,498 kilometers, which translates to about 86,680 miles.

Of course, the star of the show is the extensively modified engine, which utilizes various upgrades such as modified camshafts, Mahle pistons, and an Alpina exhaust system. As a result, the M50B25 6-cylinder engine displacement jumps from 2.5 to 3.0 liters, and the engine’s output improves from 190 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft of torque to 255 hp and 236 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine pairs to a 5-speed manual transmission to deliver power to the rear wheels.

The seller is asking $26,995 for this uncommon E36, which seems to be a fair price for this variation. Do you think this Alpina E36 is worth the price tag, or would you rather use that budget to modify a factory-spec E36?

Comments

  1. Avatar photo nycbjr Member

    Me want!!!

    Like 4
  2. Avatar photo CanuckCarGuy

    The dealer has some wickedly cool cars for sale on their website, well worth a look. My bucket list just got a bit longer, thanks Barn Finds!

    Like 2
  3. Avatar photo Bakyrdhero

    Awesome machine. Crusty steering wheel. I wonder can leather conditioner restore that or is it a recover job? Nice car.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar photo PDXBryan

    E36s are a lot of bang for the BMW buck.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar photo Vudutu

    Nice ride. Classic beemers are an example of the best use of earths resources in my humble opinion. 3 and 5 series. E36 and E39s. If you want to see some seriously drool worthy cars check out this independent Beemer here in of all places Cincinnati. High prices but killer cars.

    http://enthusiastauto.com/qsearch/?form_request=56&action=results&showres=1&1268_0=&selLevel_1268B0D=&1574_0=1&x=15&y=7

    Like 0
    • Avatar photo Superdessucke

      Ah, EAG. Definitely polarizing in the BMW community. I snagged a low mile E36 M3 from their clutches before they got it, and thus probably paid about 10k less than they’d have sold it for.

      As a positive, they do go through their cars very thoroughly and you know you’re getting a good example. They also stand behind the cars they sell, which is good if you live near Cinci. You can get similar cars much cheaper on the open market but some don’t mind paying extra money for the assurance.

      Like 2
  6. Avatar photo GeorgeL

    I recently bought #155 (Arctic Grey, automatic) and am having it imported next month. I can’t wait!! My first Alpina!

    Like 2
  7. Avatar photo Dave Mazz

    I noticed that the Craigslist ad says, “The Alpina has 139,498 km or just over 68k original miles”, but the good-old Barn Find description got it right at 86,000 miles. An honest juxtapositional mistake I’m sure. :-) :-)

    Like 0

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