Over the past decade, it feels like many performance cars have become difficult to use, and I’m not talking about the power. It seems that everything these days needs to be stiffer, more harshly sprung, less comfortable, and more about pummelling the road into oblivion rather than breathing with it. Thankfully, through the second half of the 2010s, not everyone forgot how to make a great road car. This is the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe, a factory authorized tuned BMW for the real world, if your real world has sections without speed limits.
Instead of being some sandpaper-rough glass-chewing beast optimized solely for test track times and figures, the B6 Gran Coupe was tuned for the road. No overly harsh suspension, no zero-compliance solid mounts for the subframes, just a comfortable, tactile, luxurious sedan that could rip down the autobahn at breakneck pace, keep up with lighter machinery on backroads, and not fuse your spine together over Belgian cobbles.
It was a car for connoisseurs, sold in America on a purely if-you-know-you-know basis. Fewer than 1,000 made it across the Atlantic, yet most model years of this attractive but largely unassuming sedan could keep top-end pace with a Ferrari F40. However, pricing hasn’t flung off into exotic territory, because this is a 201 MPH sedan you can buy for the price of a Hyundai Elantra N.
What Are We Looking At?
It all starts with a BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe that was pulled off the line in Dingolfing and sent over to the wizards at Alpina in Buchloe for some serious revision. We’re talking heavy engine modifications, Lavalina leather, special suspension, blue dials, a body kit, giant turbine alloy wheels, a titanium exhaust system, the works, all because the regular 650i Gran Coupe wasn’t good enough for Alpina’s standards. Once the transformation was complete, a new name was bestowed upon this four-door version of a two-door version of a four-door car: Alpina B6 Gran Coupe. Launched in America for the 2015 model year with 540 horsepower, it was a tempting proposition, but 2016 would be worth the wait.
For the B6 Gran Coupe’s second model year in America, Alpina decided it wanted to take the title from the M6 Gran Coupe in blood. Tweaks to the induction system and fuel system boosted output to 600 horsepower and 590 lb.-ft. of torque. Top speed? Officially, 201 mph. Goodbye, M6, Bentley Continental Flying Spur V8, and Mercedes-AMG E 63 S. On a long enough stretch of derestricted road, the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe would simply walk away.
However, the shocking part about the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe isn’t the supercar-baiting top speed, or the heavy-hitting output, or the fact that it ran from zero-to-60 mph in 3.3 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds at 116.6 mph during Motor Trend instrumented testing, it’s the refinement. While an M6 is meant to be track-capable, the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe is an unabashed Autobahn and backroad sledgehammer, a drama-free rocketship that flattens out potholes and resolves as an NHRA-baiting bubble of calm that exhibits all the traits that made enthusiasts fall in love with BMWs. As per Motor Trend:
In addition to the real-world plus of having four driven wheels, it benefits from a medley of other tradeoffs that make it a better road car. The B6’s ZF-sourced eight-speed torque-converter transmission is far smoother in everyday driving than the M6’s clumsy dual-clutch unit. Its hydraulically assisted steering is light and communicative, unlike the M6, whose steering was apparently tuned by marketing people who think that heavy means schporty. The M6’s three driver-selectable levels of power steering assist are equivalent to the system being low on fluid, completely out of fluid, or, in its sportiest mode, just plain broken. A harsh judgment, but a true one.
The Alpina’s rear subframe is isolated from the chassis with bushings, and as such, its occupants experience less road and impact noise. Although it rides on the same-size 20-inch wheels, the Alpina’s ride is far more supple than the M6’s. It soaks up bumps that have the M car bouncing and pogoing. Although its steering ratio is far slower (18.7:1 versus 12.7:1), the Alpina setup offers better on-center communication because it dances in your hands the way good BMW steering used to.
What we have here is the ultimate four-door BMW of the 2010s for the road, one that’s communicative, inviting, pliable, sumptuous, progressive, and totally under the radar. Only 907 of all variants were sold in North America, yet despite this extreme rarity, the best BMW nobody talks about is now available for sensible money.
How Much Are We Talking?
If you dig the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe, you’re probably a fan of performance sedans, so let’s benchmark our favorite cheap new performance sedan, the Hyundai Elantra N. Bristling with feedback and spirit, the stick-shift Elantra N starts at $35,545 including freight, and you can totally buy a 2016-plus Alpina B6 Gran Coupe for that sort of money. For instance, this 2017 model sold on Cars & Bids back in December for a mere $28,250. Okay, it did have 95,100 miles on the clock, but with a clean Carfax showing both BMW dealer and independent specialist servicing, this Frozen White example is worth a look.
Then again, caring for satin paint can be a bit onerous, so what about something in a more demure spec with history outside of the rust belt? This 2016 Alpina B6 Gran Coupe sold on Bring A Trailer for $32,250 last year, and if you’re okay with Space Grey over black leather, it looks brilliant. According to a clean Carfax, it spent all its life in the southwest, and had 82,000 miles on the clock when it sold.
I get it, waiting for the right auction to come up can take ages for such a rare car, so what can the classifieds offer? Well, how about this 2016 model up for sale in Virginia for $29,999? Sure, black-on-black isn’t the most exciting color combination, but this thing has just 61,415 miles on the clock. The downside? It does have a minor hit on its Carfax from 2017. Still, if you can live with that, this Alpina B6 Gran Coupe is a ton of car for $30,000
What Can Possibly Go Wrong On An Alpina B6 Gran Coupe?
I suspect part of the reason the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe is so cheap is due to misinformation around the infamous N63 hot-vee twin-turbocharged V8. While the initial variant of this engine was undeniably awful to own, not only was the variant in the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe based on the vastly improved second-generaiton N63 TU, it also features Alpina’s own extensive modifications. As a result, the engine itself is quite robust for a 600-horsepower unit, optimized for extensive high-speed running in the hands of customers that do mega mileage, and owners report few problems.
The transmission’s even better, ZF’s ubiquitous and excellent 8HP eight-speed torque converter automatic with Alpina’s own calibration. Really, the main things to look out for are worn suspension components, seriously expensive LED headlights, and occasional little issues like window pinch sensors and keyless entry issues. On the whole though, the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe seems to be one of the most reliable 200 mph cars you can buy, so it seems that Buchloe’s secret sauce is working.
Should You Buy An Alpina B6 Gran Coupe For Elantra N Money?
Normally, a used high-end performance luxury sedan is a financial nightmare waiting to happen, but from all accounts, the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe seems like a potential exception to the rule. As it’s still a used high-end luxury sedan, it probably won’t be completely problem-free, but reports from owners make it actually appear like a decent bet and not a disaster. A 2016+ model with the extra power is one hell of a car, and so long as you’re willing to maintain it, it’s worth entertaining the idea of one for Elantra N money.
Top graphic credit: Bring A Trailer
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Say what you want, but I would love to have one of these. I’m sure there are other Autopians like myself that don’t drive that much anymore (don’t have to), have garage space, and want a very comfortable sedan that can fly if needed. And these have the looks to boot (at least to me).
Will repairs be expensive? Without a doubt. But if you can keep the mileage down, it shouldn’t be too bad. If I could maintain a Saab 93 long after there was no Saab, the sticker shock shouldn’t be that bad.
I’m actually surprised how few B6s are currently on sale on cargurus. (9 nationwide)
I window shopped them for a while a year or two back and there would be 30+ listings easily.
Maybe depreciation has finally gotten so low that people are just holding on to them or buying good examples quickly
I can’t wait to be back to work and follow through on one of these terrible, brilliant, terrible ideas. I love riding but I surely miss Driving (as opposed to driving the truck, which does not stir my soul in the least).
How about a SS Camaro and add a supercharger? Less money and will not break..
Why not just buy a Corolla with leather instead of a used Bentley
More reliable and both have 4 wheels and leather.
Blown V8 noises
I concur. Instead of “Camry”, “Accord”, a plebian M or some anono-crossover, bring this home.
Hmm, one has a stick, the other doesn’t…
And one might not last that long cuz Korean-made.
This is the best, yet most horrible, idea I’ve seen in a while.
Wow that’s a lot of words
Amazing how similar this is in price and specs to the 23 Kia EV6 GT that recently sold on cars and bids. Nearly identical weight and seating/cargo space. The Alpina has slightly more power but the Kia is slightly faster.
Pedant hat on – the Kia is quicker (0-60), but not faster (161 mph vs 201)
I’ve owned a 2003 540i and it was both the best and worst car I’ve ever had. This looks like it could be both better and worse yet! I would love one of these!
E39s are some of the most reliable cars BMW has ever produced. Most examples of unreliability are due to past maintenance neglect.
There are M5s out there with 500k miles. I live in a tiny 3rd world country and our E39 owners group has more than 30 members with probably a hundred or more unaccounted E39s still rolling around. Extrapolate that to the rest of the world and I’m sure the E39 is still one of the most common 25+ German cars around.
Lack of parts is the only thing that will kill E39s. It’s already happening.
Beyond the cost of keeping it on the road (roll the dice if you have the money to risk), I think these were awkward-looking. They are very close to being beautiful, but the buttress form behind the front wheels, squinty eyes, and long snout that droops at its end ruin them for me. Too much Proboscis monkey in that front end.
there are probably worse ways to set $30k on fire
but this wouldn’t be the way I do it
No, unless you can lease it.
10ft pole, etc.
3.048 meter stange
My online research informed me that the Germans have a similar saying:
“Da fasse ich nicht mal mit der Kneifzange an.”(“I wouldn’t even touch that with pliers.”)
I’m surprised it’s not a single word.