If you want a vehicle that offers similar performance of BMW M range but combines it
with greater comfort, it is hard to look past some of the products in Alpina‘s
range. Out of all the cars it offers, it is perhaps the B5 Bi-Turbo which is
the best all-rounder, particularly in Touring guise.
Based around the 5-Series estate, the Alpina B5
Bi-Turbo Touring is powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine pumping out 608
hp and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Like the M5, this grunt
is sent through all four wheels and the Alpina is capable of sending up to 90
per cent of torque to the rear wheels if needed.
Thanks to Alpina’s expertise in creating
high-performance vehicles, the B5 Bi-Turbo Touring is very quick. In fact, it
can sprint to 100 km/h in a blistering 3.5 seconds and continues
through to a top speed of 322 km/h as this new video shows.
However, a big difference with all
the other series-production performance estates is that Alpina does not
electronically govern the Touring’s top speed at the usual 250 km/h mark, allowing it to brag about it being the “fastest production Touring in the
world”.
The clip from Alpina shows both a Porsche 911 GT2 RS
and Mercedes-AMG GT R sprinting along a straight section of road. However, both
are forced to make way for a fast-moving Alpina coming up behind them. Not only
is the Alpina going faster but we imagine the occupants are much more
comfortable than they are in the Porsche or Mercedes.
Making the Alpina all the more desirable,
particularly for those that don’t want to make a statement, is that its design
is very simple and refined compared to an M5 sedan. It really is the ultimate
German sleeper.
