Alpina’s new 592bhp B5 Bi-Turbo will do 204mph

Earlier this year, Alpina rolled out a couple of special editions to mark its 50th anniversary as a BMW tuner. They had, as is Alpina’s wont, a bunch more power. Now that extra power has made its way to Alpina’s, um, ‘standard’ cars.

So you’re looking at a modified rear-wheel-drive BMW 5-Series, available as a saloon or estate. The new, 2016 versions of Alpina’s B5 Bi-Turbo feature the uprated 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, now producing 592bhp and 590lb ft of torque – both up 60bhp and 52lb ft over last year’s cars.

This is thanks to a combination of new pistons, two larger turbos operating in parallel, a high performance intercooler with a shorter intake system, additional oil and water coolers, and optimisation of the air intake ducting system.

What does this mean for performance? There is plenty. 0-62mph now takes just 4.2 seconds, which is a tenth quicker than BMW’s very own ‘standard’ M5, and just three-tenths slower than the special edition anniversary M5. However, Alpina’s B5 Bi-Turbo will hit 204mph. No limiter here.

There’s the eight-speed ZF auto ‘box, adaptive damping, new camber settings, a limited slip diff, and a revamp of the exhaust (reduction of the silencer volume). Speaking of which, there’s the option of an Akrapovic system that’s nearly half the weight of the stainless steel version.

Elsewhere, you’ll spot Alpina’s front bumper and rear spoiler, those classic wheels, some stripes, and of course, lots of leather and wood inside.

Source: www.topgear.com