Don't like the M5 Touring? Try a Bovensiepen 05 GT
Frank Stephenson design and 800hp for new Buchloe-built uberwagon
While undoubtedly a car of many talents, the latest BMW M5 Touring isn’t exactly subtle. There’s the sheer size of it, for one thing, then the arches, spoilers, splitters, wheels… in every sense, it’s a lot. And there must be a few people for whom the appeal of a large, fast, expensive estate is in the relative subtlety. Otherwise you’d just go buy a Range Rover Sport like everyone else. Step forward then, Bovensiepen, the company that emerged from the ashes of Alpina, and its new 05 GT.
This apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree, let’s say that. If you liked the Alpina way of doing things, with lavish materials, discreet details and massive performance, the Bovensiepen is likely to appeal quite a lot. While not as extreme as the Zagato coupe, which had carbon panels among its list of modifications, this is clearly a different proposition to the G99 M5 Touring. That’s most obvious visually, with a design overhaul from no less than Frank Stephenson. MD Andreas Bovensiepen suggests that the 05 GT “embodies timeless and elegant design from every angle”; the most notable changes are in the bumpers front and rear, which are both tamer (and arguably more stylish) than the M car. For once, here’s a fast BMW that benefits from a bit of trimming down. The titanium Akrapovic exhaust means this isn’t likely to be mistaken for a 530e anytime soon, although the quad pipes had become something of an Alpina trademark, so were always likely to continue. The forged 21-inch wheels ‘radiate a commitment to perfection through their symmetrical design’, and sit on this Touring more convincingly than any of the M wheels do.
They aren’t just there to look good, either; as it was with Alpina, a Bovensiepen take on the BMW aims to improve the drive as well. So the spokes of the forged wheels are milled, to save further unsprung mass; they sit on bespoke, ‘BOV’-marked Pirellis. Behind sit the standard M5 dampers, now paired with new Eibach springs. There are also modified support bearings and additional bracing for ‘precise, sporting handling while still providing the highest level of ride comfort.’
This is all to create what Bovensiepen is calling a ‘Fine Driving’ experience, which doesn’t sound like any more power would be required. But old habits will die hard, and the asking price is €200,000, so the 5 GT has 800hp - up from the M5’s 727hp. Probably quite hard to resist when all that’s required was some software optimisation and the Akra exhaust. A peak torque figure of 811lb ft (an increase from 738lb ft) should make progress as effortless as expected from a Buchloe-built BMW.
Bovensiepen suggests that the inside of the 05 GT ‘creates a warm atmosphere that invites you to travel in comfort and style.’ As with the exterior treatment, those who find an M car a bit OTT should find more to enjoy here. While there’s Lavalina leather, milled aluminium shift paddles and a build plaque as standard, buyers are invited to treat the 05 GT as somewhat of a blank canvas if so desired. There’s a level of customisation available here, with Bovensiepen’s small batch production, that just wouldn’t be possible with a regular M5. So don’t bank on many being black with black leather. Bovensiepen reckons that special requests ‘are part of our daily routine’, suggesting such personal touches as custom embroidery and even a fully Alcantara boot. Instagram isn’t going to know what’s hit it.
The first Bovensiepen 05 GTs will be delivered by the end of this year, with the price from €198,900 - or £172,000. A standard M5 Touring is £116,160, so a greater difference than the old Alpina days, if likely to be even more exclusive. And a good deal less than the Zagato. Wonder what Bovensiepen will turn its hand to next…
There were only a handful of times that the Alpina version of a BMW was more powerful than the M Car it was an alternative to.
There were only a handful of times that the Alpina version of a BMW was more powerful than the M Car it was an alternative to.
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