Peter Reid's E21 Tarmac Rally and Supersprint car

Peter Reid reports below on this E21 race car.

Peter’s e21 was originally prepared for competition in the NSW BMW Drivers’ Club SuperSprint Championship. The car came

- third in class in the 2004 Championship,
- second in class in the 2005 championship, and
- first in class in the 2007 Championship.

Some interesting data from the 2007 Championship :

- of the six rounds the car competed in, the car scored top points at four rounds
- the car recorded fastest time in Class at Wakefield Park, the Oran Park GP circuit, and Eastern Creek. It ran second fastest time at Winton.
- The car had built up an unassailable lead after six rounds of the eight round series.

In 2006 the car was up-graded to full FIA Tarmac Rally specifications, and came second in its class in the Competition Category of the 2006 Classic Adelaide Tarmac Rally. It has therefore been ‘passed’ by scrutineers as fully eligible for events such as Targa Tasmania, Classic Adelaide, Targa West, and the Mount Buller Sprint.

The only BMW to finish further up the Competition ladder in the 2006 Classic Adelaide was an ex-factory Group A e30 M3.

The car has recorded lap times of :

- 1.59.08 at Eastern Creek
- 1.13.77 at Wakefield Park
- 1.27.91 at the Oran Park GP Circuit
- 1.46.42 at Winton

All of these times, bar the Eastern Creek time, were recorded when the car ran a very nearly standard 2.3 litre engine with over 150,000 ks on it.

These are VERY quick times for a near standard e21. The Wakefield Park times ( to take an example) compare favourably with times set on the same day by a Porsche Boxster S (1.13.95 ), a New Mini Cooper S (1.13.67 ) and a new Porsche Carrera (1.14.33).

In fact the e21 laps faster than many M3s and M Roadsters.

This is despite the fact that the car runs a standard camshaft, standard bore, standard compression, standard exhaust headers, standard clutch, standard gearbox, upgraded brakes and suspension, and R rated tyres. It now runs an M20 2.5 litre engine but retains the original mechanical Fuel injection ( as required by FIA Tarmac Rally specifications).

How can this be so ?

Peter says –

"Alpina Australia products and knowledge give the car a significant advantage over the competition."

The car runs ;

- an Alpina Australia differential,
- an Alpina Australia ‘Airflow Booster Big Bore Throttle Body, and
- Imre, from Alpina Australia had the expert knowledge required to ensure that the fitting of the 2.5 litre with the mechanical fuel injection motor in late 2007 would in fact be feasible, and that the transplant went very smoothly.

"Imre at Alpina Australia / Bavarian Motorsports supplied on time, and at the agreed price, a fully reconditioned limited slip differential that Imre modified to run a 4.1 final drive ratio and a 40% slip ratio. That diff gives me the opportunity to really plant my foot coming out of even the tightest corners – no wheelspin, much better acceleration. This is truly a ‘secret weapon’

The Alpina Australia Airflow Booster Big Bore Throttle Body made huge differences to lap times, and is of course easy to fit and totally reliable.

Both the diff and the throttle body have been in the car for over three years and have been totally reliable from the minute they went in. They represent great lap time improvements for a very reasonable cost."

And by the way, those beautiful engine dress up parts you see in the photos of the e21’s engine bay were also supplied by Alpina Australia / Bavarian Motorsport.

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"Alpina Bavarian Motorsport is in no way affiliated with Alpina GmbH Germany or BMW AG Germany"