Alpina B5, D5 S Bring More Power, Nicer Cabin To BMW 5 Series

The latest versions of the Alpina B5 and D5 S are here to add performance and luxury to the BMW 5 Series for folks looking for something hotter than the German company offers. Both models arrive in October in Germany. The B5 starts at €117,700 for the sedan and €120,700 for the Touring. For the diesel-powered D5 S, the four-door goes for €92,500, and the wagon is €95,500.

The B5 comes with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 613 horsepower (457 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters of torque. The power runs through an eight-speed automatic gearbox to a rear-wheel-biased all-wheel-drive system. A mechanical limited-slip differential is an option. In comparison, the current M5 Competition has 617 hp (460 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm).

The B5 sedan reaches 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in 3.4 seconds, and the wagon pushes that time to 3.6 seconds. The top speed is 205 mph (330 kph) for the four-door and 200 mph (322 kph) for the estate. An M5 Competition gets to 60 mph (96 kph) in 3.1 seconds and tops out at 189 mph (304 kph) with the M Driver's Package.

If you prefer a diesel engine, then the D5 S uses a 3.0-liter triple-turbo inline-six engine making 402 hp (300 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. It gets to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds as a sedan and 4.6 seconds for the wagon. The four-door has a top speed of 178 mph (286 kph), versus 176 mph (283 kph) for the estate. Like the B5, these models also use an eight-speed automatic with rear-biased all-wheel drive.

The B5 and D5 S ride on adaptive dampers, and there's rear-wheel steering that can turn the tires up to 2.3 degrees left or right. The vehicle rides on Alpina's trademark multi-spoke wheels that measure 20 inches in diameter here.

In terms of styling, the B5 and D5 S wear a revised front fascia with inlets that are 40 percent larger than on a 5 Series. The company also fits a different rear bumper with a design that better fits Alpina's dual-outlet sport exhaust that exits out of each corner. Alpina covers the inside of the B5 with hand-stitched Lavalina leather. BMW's navigation system comes standard.