BMW’s M division no longer builds the M5 Touring but there’s a company with close links to the German automaker that’s happy to build you a wild wagon based on the 5-Series platform. The company is Alpina, which is currently working on a new B5 based on the recently revealed seventh-generation BMW 5-Series.2018 BMW Alpina B5 Touring.
The last B5 in its final form came with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 good for 600 hp. We expect the new one to maintain that figure or something close to it. Even with a similar output, we expect the new B5 to better its predecessor’s 0-62 mph time of 4.2 seconds and 204 mph top speed.Where the performance gains will come is the lighter weight of the new 5-Series' multi-material construction. Some 5-Series models are as much as 220 pounds lighter than the predecessor. The standard 8-speed automatic transmission will also be tweaked for quicker shifts.
Look for Alpina’s new B5 range to debut in early 2017, possibly at the Geneva auto show next March. A new M5 should arrive not long after.
BMW does offer Alpina products in the United States. For example, the new 7-Series has already spawned its Alpina variant. However, we’re not expecting the B5 to make it over.
The last B5 in its final form came with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 good for 600 hp. We expect the new one to maintain that figure or something close to it. Even with a similar output, we expect the new B5 to better its predecessor’s 0-62 mph time of 4.2 seconds and 204 mph top speed.Where the performance gains will come is the lighter weight of the new 5-Series' multi-material construction. Some 5-Series models are as much as 220 pounds lighter than the predecessor. The standard 8-speed automatic transmission will also be tweaked for quicker shifts.
Look for Alpina’s new B5 range to debut in early 2017, possibly at the Geneva auto show next March. A new M5 should arrive not long after.
BMW does offer Alpina products in the United States. For example, the new 7-Series has already spawned its Alpina variant. However, we’re not expecting the B5 to make it over.