I recently left the world of Japanese sportscars when I sold my '99 Nissan Skyline R34 GTR, and incidently I ended up with something that started my interest in cars some ten years ago; a BMW/Alpina. I happened to stumble upon a very nice and clean '97 B10 V8 at a local car dealer and simply couldn't resist it.
Being used to the performance of my former car, both with regards to power and handling, I couldn't help but to start looking for some subtle upgrades for the car. I'm aware of the fact that as a BMW/Alpina the car should be left unmodified, and therefore I intend to save all original parts and the car will be able to be reverted back to its original state at any time.
In order to make plans for the future I need to know some of the things already done to the car so that I don't "re-invent the wheel". Very well then, enter the questions:
1: Does Alpina replace the standard BMW 540i exhaust system, and if so, what parts?
2: Does Alpina replace the standard BMW 540i anti-sway bars, and if so, what are their specifications?
3: While I know that Alpina replace the standard BMW 540i shocks and springs, I don't know the specifications of the springs?
I want to maintain the comfort of the car while still improving on the handling, and therefore I plan on adding strut-tower braces front and rear, replacing the anti-sway bars if needed and lowering the car another 2-3 centimeters while retaining the shocks supplied by Alpina.
I also wish to improve the exhaust sound; I absolutly love the sound of the Alpina V8 and I cannot get enough of it. Hopefully I'll even pick up some power in the process.
1. Yes Alpina does replace the standard exhaust and from what I understand is a complete system from the engine downwards, I am not sure about the manifold but certainly from there back all the exhaust is Alpina and is optimised to the car. Replacing it to make improvements could be difficult and expensive as you would need a custom exhaust and then would need to develop one that can work well and produce more power than the standard Alpina item. I think also that the cats are different to increase the flow through the exhaust.
2. Not sure about the anti-sway bars I think those are standard BMW 540 items from the sport suspension although they do not roll that much especially when compared with the standard models BMW's.
3. Not sure of the specs of the springs I know there are custom and it has been suggested that they are made by Eibach but I do not think there is much data on the specs as this is all part of the tuning that Alpina complete on the car.
As for modifications I think you are going to be hard pressed to better it. They are developed to a much less compromised brief than say an M- car due to the more focussed market sector that Alpina's exist in. Trying to second guess Alpina could be pretty difficult and you could end up "tuning" the car for the next 10 years but it is your car and thus your choice.
If you want better performance than maybe you should think about adding better braking capability but even that may upset the very fine balance that Alpina.
Good luck with your choice.
Cheers
Simon
The Following User Says Thank You to Simonal For This Useful Post:
Many thanks for the warm welcome and your repy as well.
I managed to found a version of the Alpina parts catalogue on the Internet and browsed it for some useful information.
1: When it comes to the exhaust system, it seems Alpina replace everything but the manifolds/headers. This makes the exhaust system hard to improve upon, as it seems the exhaust system is only two parts in total and fitting aftermarker manifolds of the extractor type would have me replacing a lot more in the process. I'm not so sure I want to do that, but I guess the future will tell.
2: The anti-sway bars are standard BMW 540i items, I will probably have these replaced by Eibach items.
3: I've not been able to find any information about the springs' specifications. I guess I'll have to contact Alpina directly about this in order to get the proper information needed. Of course one could replace the whole units with height adjustable items, but I want to retain the Alpina shocks and the comfort they provide, only replacing the springs in order lower the front a further 1-2 centimeters.
The good thing about the modifications I'm planning is that they can all be easily reversed, as I'll only do bolt-on applications and save all the original parts. Replacing the anti-sway bars and adding strut-tower braces should only have positive effects, as the ride would remain basically the same comfort-wise until cornering, where handling should be significantly improved by considerably reducing roll.
I've also found indications that the springs mounted to the car by Alpina are Eibach items. This suits me well as the anti-sway bars will be as well and it always feels good to be using as much parts as possible of the same brand. I sent Alpina an e-mail asking for specifications of the springs and clarification of their differences versus the standard BMW 540i parts.
Why not make a trip to ESS in Norway and add some +100Hp
I've thought of that as well, and maybe that's an option for the future. I have some other ideas on the shelf as well, but they'll all have to wait until I have completed my studies and found a suitable job that provide better income than the present equivalent of €950 per month. It's expensive enough as it is driving cars like this one when you're a student.
To be honest I think the ESS SC Kit isn't very much bang for the buck. I would expect more than a mere 100 hp increase in power output if I spent that amount of money.
For the time being I'll just be doing some minor work to the car, spicing up the exterior with some subtle but (at least according to myself) tasteful mods such as crystal/clear turning indicators and side repeaters, conversion from ShadowLine to ChromeLine and then spending some dough on improving the handling of the car. Lowering the front another 1-2 centimeters will probably affect looks more than handling/performance, but if does mean a slight improvement combined with the other modifications I'm planning I would be very happy and satisfied with that.
Granted, the BMW/Alpina B10 V8 is an amazing car as is, but when you're used to driving a 520+ hp 4WD car with twin-turbo and wonderful cornering capabilities I can assure you that you feel the difference. Still, I very much like the comfort of the Alpina, and like I previously wrote I aim to improve on handling while retaining the comfort. Time will tell whether I'm successful or not.
and if you like an otherwise project,, by an E30 ,, as they are the lightest cars that are fairly buildt,, and make a project
MANY that are running S50B30 and S50B32,,,,,, (( e36 M3 engines)) very quick cars,,as they are at least 200 kg lighter vs E36
PPF a well known company in you country can help you with a E30 325 add a turbo,,,,,, easy 400 ps and 500nm on stock engine,, but ARP studs and thicker headgasket MLS is recommended
The B10 v8 is a heavy car ,, but pulls well, lovely cruiser,, not that kind of wanna-be sportsedan ,, I would never bolt a ESS or simalair on a ALPINA B10 V8,, buy your self instead a 540 and bolt it on that car and save your self a solid value
and if you like an otherwise project,, by an E30 ,, as they are the lightest cars that are fairly buildt,, and make a project
MANY that are running S50B30 and S50B32,,,,,, (( e36 M3 engines)) very quick cars,,as they are at least 200 kg lighter vs E36
PPF a well known company in you country can help you with a E30 325 add a turbo,,,,,, easy 400 ps and 500nm on stock engine,, but ARP studs and thicker headgasket MLS is recommended
The B10 v8 is a heavy car ,, but pulls well, lovely cruiser,, not that kind of wanna-be sportsedan ,, I would never bolt a ESS or simalair on a ALPINA B10 V8,, buy your self instead a 540 and bolt it on that car and save your self a solid value
As stated previously, all the modifications I make will be fully reversible and all original parts will be saved (I will not even sell off the ShadowLine kit nor the orange turning indicators or side repeaters) and stored appropriately. Furthermore nothing's been definately decided regarding an increase in power, all modifications decided upon are exterior enhancements and handling upgrades. Nothing that will take away the identity of the car in my opinion.
If I was looking for a sports car I would have kept my previous car. This time I want a cruiser in the form of a family sedan, hence the B10 V8. I think it's quite clear what I wanted for myself as I opted to buy this car instead of another expensive sportscar like a Dodge Viper, Lotus Esprit, Maserati or something of the sort. It wasn't really a financial issue as I got good money for the GTR, which was incidently not that much lighter than the B10 V8.
Sounds like you have things covered I think there should not be too much harm in changing the suspension for a compromise more to your liking.
After all the B10 V8s had slightly different dampers, spring and possibly different anti-sway bar setup too which were meant to be stiffer than the standard B10 V8 setup. So that may also be an option. I know that the ride in my car is firm but also pretty compliant. Also this should be a change that can be installed and then removed later should you wish.
As for the ESS charger for me that would be a NO! I know there are good results but for me that would just not work. 100 BHP for all that work.....hummm that does not work for me.
I recently drove a E92 M3 with a full house G-Power conversion, producing a dyno verified 648 BHP and a gain of over 220 bhp over the standard car. Now that is power gain and takes the M3 into supercar breaking territory. 100 BHP in a V8 would take you to 450BHP which is not that much more than the gains than a modded E39 M5 but each to there own and as I said before it is your car.
Cheers
Simon
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Just like yourself I'm a little disappointed by the ESS SC Kit as well, like I wrote in the post above yours I think that kind of money should bring me more than 100 hp. Having previously owned a good deal of cars with turbocharged engines (Alpina B7 Turbo, BMW 323i Turbo, Nissan Skyline R33 GTR, Nissan Skyline R34 GTR, Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4) I'm also more attracted by the characteristics of such cars. Please take notice all readers; I'm not trying to start a debate whether the one is better than the other, this is just my personal opinion.
I have some ideas for making a BiTurbo-conversion (I always thought Alpina should have made one on the E39 5-series), but I'm doubtful they will ever come true as it would be hard to accomplish without making irreversible modifications, and that is priority number one for this car. I've spent a lot of reading on the various forums about this topic and it seems successful turbo conversions on the M62-base engine are very few and far between to say the least. Anyway, there are several ways to go about this and only the future will tell whether something will be done and in what manner. For now I wish to concentrate on the modifications related to this thread start.
I've not received any reply from Alpina regarding the springs as of yet, I will make sure to publish the results of my enquiries here once I do.
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