BMW cocktail
A natural, but no less formidable for that, is the new Tom Walkinshaw alliance of 1982 model BMW 5-series and the 3½-litre six as has been used in 535i, 735i and 635i. However TWR, just one of Mr Walkinshaw’s many enterprises today, is not content with a straightforward warrantied BMW six. They claim 240 b.h.p. tor their tuned 3.5.
The resultant bespoilered Five costs around £18,500, or one can submit a new 528i and have a bill for £5,997,25 inclusive of VAT. TWR do badge the car “535i” but we wonder about the situation, since BMW in Germany prevented a similar move by Alpina, when they wanted to badge one of their creations 328.
BMW have yet to produce their own 535i (though me would guess that VIPs like Nelson Piquet qualify for such cars when the Motorsport division reviews the production example), but fuller details of the TWR example are available from Campbell Ritchie at the Motorsport Centre Ltd. Oxford Road, Dorchester on Thames, Oxford (Oxford 341010).