Alpina makes another extra-fast BMW 5 Series
B5 GT most powerful Alpina ever
“For over 50 years, Alpina has been a small antithesis to the automotive mass market.” That’s how the company describes itself, and it’s hard to argue. The firm that has been tuning BMWs for those 50 years was recently snatched up to become part of BMW itself, but that hasn’t stopped it from building cars like this B5 GT. An Alpina 5 Series that walks all over BMW’s own M5.
Alpina starts the 5-Series-based B5 GT by tweaking its V8 engine. This isn’t the M version of the BMW 4.4L engine (called S63), Alpina instead starts with the standard N63 unit. That doesn’t hurt performance at all, since the engine makes 625 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. One pony less than the out-of-production M5 CS and eight more than the M5 Competition. With 75 more torques than either.
The company says the extra power comes from a “flow optimized air intake duct” and changes to the engine’s software that include more boost. “The engineers have placed particular emphasis on responsiveness and power delivery,” the company says, with Alpina more focused on on-road driving than the track.
Combined with a re-tune of the ZF eight-speed auto, the B5 GT sedan hits 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds with the wagon taking two-tenths longer. The top speed of the sedan is 330 km/h and the Touring can do more than 322.
The wheels are Alpina’s usual multi-spoke design, here in a 20-inch size. Look closely and they’ve got B5 GT lettering. A bulkhead strut reinforces the front end for tighter steering, while Alpina has worked its magic on the suspension, which usually enhances handling without sacrificing ride comfort. BMW’s own M cars can ignore that last part in the pursuit of ultimate performance.
Alpina offers the B5 GT in its signature blue and green as well as six other exclusive paint colours. The brand’s exterior style stickers are also offered, in three colours.
Other changes include some mild bodywork changes and interior upgrades to hand-finished leather. There are plenty of B5 logos inside, too. Alpina is building just 250 of the cars, with pricing starting from 145,500 euros tax in. That’s about $211,000 Canadian.
