Since Alpina opened its doors in 1962, its focus has been modifying BMWs. Starting as a parts production business, they quickly evolved into a highly successful BMW race team, campaigning cars in series like the European Touring Car Championship and the German Hillclimb Championship. During this time, Alpina also began producing higher-performing versions of contemporary BMWs and, in 1983, received certification as a manufacturer, which meant cars modified by Alpina would no longer be registered as BMWs. Unlike most tuners who emphasize maximizing a vehicle's performance, Alpina took a more holistic approach, spending as much time on their more luxurious interior accommodations as they did on the engine and suspension. The BMW Z8, which the Roadster V8 is based on, is indisputably an all-time great vehicle: the striking retro styling paired with a high-revving V8 and a six-speed manual gearbox from the contemporary M5 made for a package that any car lover could get behind. Alpina saw this car and wanted to put their spin on it, and set to work transforming it from BMW’s sports car into Alpina’s ultimate grand touring car.
This 2003 BMW Alpina Roadster V8 is a stunning example finished in Jet Black with Sport Red and Black two-tone leather interior and shows just 7,341 miles on the odometer. This Alpina was sold new in Massachusetts and spent most of its life on Long Island under the care of a single owner. The Alpina variant of the Z8 is immediately identifiable by its large 20” 5-quad-spoke wheels, which have become a desirable upgrade for the standard Z8, along with Alpina badging on the car's interior and exterior. Fitted with a power soft top, this Z8 also comes with a color-matched removable hard top which is in excellent condition and provides excellent all-weather protection.
The interior of the Alpina is finished in two-tone black and red supple Nappa leather with red piping on the seats and black trim on the dash, center console, and doors. When you open the door, you are greeted by a custom Alpina milled aluminum sill plate, and an Alpina badge sits in the center of the unique “Banjo” style steering wheel that was pulled from the Z8. Like in the BMW variant, the gauge pod is off-set and sits in the center of the dashboard, canted towards the driver- but in the Alpina, the gauge faces are blue, and a gear selector indicator sits just in front of the driver to control the 5-speed automatic gearbox.
The most significant changes on the Alpina were carried out under the surface, with the E39 M5’s S62 V8, replaced with an M62 V8 tuned by Alpina. Although some would consider this a step in the wrong direction, the M62 is tuned for torque and smooth power and as Alpina developed this car for grand touring, the peaky nature of the S62 was not felt to be the appropriate powerplant. This M62 is then connected to a 5-speed BMW Steptronic automatic gearbox with shift buttons integrated in the steering wheel rim. The Steptronic transmission offers smooth shifts and makes for a more relaxed cruise than the 6-speed manual that would have come in the car initially.
Alpina built 555 Roadster V8s for the world, and of those, 450 ended up in the United States. This was the first time an Alpina was ever sold through a BMW main dealer in the US and started a lineage of Alpinas that continues here today. Kept in exceptional condition, this Alpina Roadster V8 is a fantastic car to enjoy with the top down during the summer or would be an excellent companion for a cross-country road trip, providing ample power, smooth suspension, and plenty of luggage space. Values of these Alpinas have begun skyrocketing in recent years and this is an ideal opportunity to get one that has been in single ownership from new and shows just 7,341 miles.
