Wednesday 8th March 2017

Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo - Geneva 2017

Can't wait for an M5? Alpina already has a 600hp 5 Series, with a Touring available too!

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BMW is conspicuous by its absence on the PH homepage this Geneva show, the main draws a 5 Series Touring, an updated 4 Series and an i8 with matt black paint. Great.

Thank goodness for Alpina then. Over on its stand, alongside a glorious green-with-gold D3 Touring, is the new B5. The first all-wheel drive B5 no less, a significant moment for the brand.

Outside it's familiar Alpina, and none the worse for it. Gorgeous multispoke wheels in the classic Alpina design (forged to save 15kg of unsprung mass), a subtle bodykit, four exhausts and a few badges mark it out. It looks fab, in fact.

Underneath is where it gets more interesting though, Alpina's tweaks as thorough as they are exciting. Power from the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 is up to 608hp between 5,750 and 6,250rpm, with torque at a massive 590lb ft from 3,000rpm. That's been achieved through modifications including an entirely reworked intake system, a pair of new twin-scroll turbos in the cylinder vee, a bigger intercooler, Mahle pistons and an Alpina sports exhaust. Excellent throttle response, "impressive emphasis across the entire rpm range" and a great V8 sound are promised. Alpina claims 3.5 seconds to 62mph, 11.4 seconds to 125mph and a top speed of 205mph. The ZF eight-speed auto has also been reworked, offering "considerably more dynamic" shifts when required and launch control too.

Chassis wise the B5 again features a range of detail Alpina tweaks that make it sound very appealing. Changes like a rework of the traction control to allow "an even more pronounced rear-wheel drive torque distribution", that sort of thing. As standard the xDrive has been recalibrated too to be "performance oriented". The B5 sits lower thanks to shorter springs, with adaptive dampers developed with Bilstein also fitted; new wishbones generate one degree of negative camber on the front axle as well. In conjunction with those much lighter wheel, turn-in response should be noticeably improved. Both saloon and Touring feature four-wheel steer and active roll stabilisation, with the estate's rear axle rear suspension also recalibrated by Alpina. For those really committed to the oversteer campaign, a Drexler limited-slip diff is available for the rear axle.

Brakes are by 395mm/398mm iron discs as standard, with a composite disc upgrade optionally available. Tyres are bespoke Pirelli P Zeros, the first time that a Pirelli tyre has featured on an Alpina from the factory since 1985.

And the cost? 112,000 euros for the saloon and 115,300 euros for the Touring, or £97,350 and £100,000 respectively. UK prices to follow as soon as possible. Should you be interested, orders are being taken now, with deliveries due in September. Or about the same time we're expecting to see an M5...

[alexpa]

Sweet!

[ayman82]

Touring for me please.

[bedonde]

De-badged Touring in Alpina Green please

[T1berious]

608 bhp... 608 bhp..

Where am I going to find 100k?.... Think man! think!

[Striple]

having just come from the mclaren article underwhelmed, this is changed my mood! Something classy about these cars but I'm guessing still savage to drive when your in the mood

[bigandclever]

A Touring could be my forever-car.

[hornetrider]

100k is ridiculous

[phil_cardiff]

hornetrider said:

100k is ridiculous

About the same as an RS6 isn't it?

[popeyewhite]

Lovely car, but the dash mounted tv/sat nav looks crude.

[hornetrider]

phil_cardiff said:

hornetrider said:

100k is ridiculous

About the same as an RS6 isn't it?

If so that's also ridiculous

[vertastic]

Touring please - In Estoril blue....yes

[j90gta]

Isn't it odd that Alpina always seem to bring out their take on an M car before the factory?

[steve1386]

This is just fab!!

Would have one over an M5 in a heartbeat.

[steve1386]

j90gta said:

Isn't it odd that Alpina always seem to bring out their take on an M car before the factory?

They're always very different in character as cars though - Alpina's focus is to make classy, very comfortable and VERY fast GT cars, suited for fast road use.

I've driven the current D3 Bi-Turbo and it's so much more quiet, refined and civilised than the M3, but in the real world, every bit as fast.

Can easily achieve 40 mpg in the real world too!

[ZX10R NIN]

I have to agree with the above we have D3 Biturbo too & it's truly superb so this B5 must be sublime.

[2 GKC]

Shoot me at dawn fellow pistonheads but I don't like it. An alpina should be the epitome of understated class. The front end looks like it crashed into Halfords. When will this 4 pipe nonsense end too; a pair of exhausts together E46 style or either side E90 style is just so much more appealing.

[Yipper]

Great car. But paying 100k for something that looks like a 30k repmobile is insane.

[unpc]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

Everyone over there ---------->>>>>>>
is fapping and fawning over the Mcl 720S.

If anything, it's the opposite with a few notable exceptions.

[Matt UK]

A lively price of kit, but the pricing just makes me feel old.

£100k? I know times move on, and being a non-buyer of new cars in this segment I'm not particularly up to date, but in my befuddled mind it's a £50k car before options.

I know, I know... Get with the times granddad etc

[belleair302]

De badged Touring please with a very bespoke interior. No stripe but yes to the traditional wheels. The best fast estate money can buy in the real world.