The Alpina B6 Gran Coupe is no harder than cutting a check. But you have to know it exists. Alpinas are uncommon in their home country of Germany, and they’re virtually unheard of in the U.S. You’ll also have to forgo the similarly priced M6 Gran Coupe, which likely will be sitting near the Alpina in BMW showrooms. Well, some BMW showrooms: Only 150 to 200 B6 Gran Coupes will be sold stateside next year.
The B6 Gran Coupe will be so rare that you’re more likely to spot a Porsche 918 Spyder or even a Ferrari LaFerrari. (A tiny, family-owned company of 210 employees, Alpina builds a total of 1500 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-series–based cars per year.) Of course, scarcity isn’t the only thing that matters, or Chrysler’s TC by Maserati would be considered a success.
The B6’s 540-hp, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 is down 20 horsepower to the base M6’s, but the Alpina-modified engine makes 38 more lb-ft of torque and is fitted with new pistons, new turbochargers, and larger intercoolers. It’s basically the same engine that gives the existing Alpina B7 its full head of steam. In the B6, Alpina cites a 0-to-60 time of 3.7 seconds—we concur—and unlike BMW-badged products, this car isn’t saddled with a governor. It'll keep accelerating all the way to a claimed 198 mph.
