Alpina B5 arrives in the UK for 2018
Deliveries are beginning now, so if you don't fancy an M5 or E63...
Excitingly, UK deliveries of the B5 have now begun. And with nothing new to report on the car, it proffers the perfect opportunity to ponder just what you might do with £90,000 to spend on a super saloon or estate. After all, you're not short of alternatives at the moment...
Closer competition comes from the new BMW M5, just £640 more than the Alpina saloon at £89,640. It too boasts a fancier four-wheel drive system than the Alpina, but lacks the niche appeal of the Buchloe bruiser. When was the last time you were carved up or tailgated by an Alpina driver? Exactly.
For better or worse, the latest M5 is unlikely to be produced as a Touring, which means that, as well as the E63, the Alpina Touring lines up squarely against the Audi RS6 for uberwagon supremacy. An RS6 Performance may be an older design than the rest, but it still packs 605hp and a devilishly good soundtrack. Officially it costs £88,345, though deals must surely be easier to come by than with the others.
A fortunate few look spoilt for choice then, should the B5's compelling blend of performance, luxury, excitement and rarity not quite cut it. That's before you consider the used alternatives, too. Yes, yes, it's not a fair argument, but this is PH and it's hard to resist. There's everything from a Dodge Charger Hellcat to a Tesla Model X available with very few miles, yet there remains the sneaking suspicion that the Alpina might be the very best way to do swift, subtle and spacious. Or is there another option? Over to you...
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I thought dealers weren’t allowed to flip cars!
It’s also not a premium, that will be list for that car with options.
PS it’s very, very good. Astonishingly fast, the 4ws disguises the bulk brilliantly and that engine just pulls and pulls.
I thought dealers weren’t allowed to flip cars!
It’s also not a premium, that will be list for that car with options.
PS it’s very, very good. Astonishingly fast, the 4ws disguises the bulk brilliantly and that engine just pulls and pulls.
Gorgeous.
Nice car, but more understated than the M5? No way!
Can't argue about the 4 exhausts, but I imagine if you parked it up next to an M5 (or even an M550i) and asked an average punter which cost more/was faster/stood out the most, they'd point at the BMW and not the Alpina. Of course, all subtly is removed by anyone who recognises the badge/wheels/splitter though, where an M550i can be de-badged and made to look nearly indistinguishable from the average 520d M Sport rep mobile. Me thinks if you want subtle, that's the way to go, 450 ponies is more than enough to dispatch most things, and if you're after subtle then top trumps doesn't really matter.
Seriously, the law of diminishing returns kicks in big time with this B5 Estate - I love it and would love to own one, but I'd always have that voice at the back of my mind saying:
530i SE Touring costs £43k - 252hp 0-60 in 6.5 - this is the 4 pot lump
or if you want more cylinders:
540i SE Touring costs £50k - 340hp 0-60 in 5.1 - this is 3 litre 6 pot engine.
You could almost have a 530i and a 540i for the price of the B5, and I guarantee you wouldn't notice the difference for 95% of the time.
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