Alpina C2

The E30 3-series paved the way for Alpina to transition away from the previously favored four-cylinder motors and instead invest their time and energy into developing the smaller six-cylinder variants. All vehicles of this range were built on a shared platform, with slight alterations made to the powertrain.

The debut of the E30 M3 with 190 horsepower in 1986 rendered the C1 2.5 obsolete. To stay ahead of the competition, Alpina responded by developing the C2 2.7 featuring 210 hp; this was accomplished by utilizing the crankshaft from a 325e and increasing stroke.

In 1987, Alpina unveiled the C2 2.7 Allard, the first 4WD from the company. Additionally, it also presented the C2 2.7 Katalysator with 204 hp and a catalytic convector.

Despite its high price, the C2 2.7 was popular and featured in many magazine tests – often in conjunction with the BMW M2. The C2 2.7 resulted in a number of spin-off models including the Japan-only B6 2.7 and the 325iS model for BMW South Africa.

Between 1986 and 1988, in total 108 examples of the C2 2.7 and 52 examples of the C2 2.7 Katalysator were produced. Read more