Alpina B5 coming to Australia

If the new BMW M5 isn’t special enough for you, the angrier Alpina B5 is on its way.

A powered-up version of the M car’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 is the star of the show, with 447kW and 800Nm showing the new M5 (441kW/750Nm) who’s boss.

But its downfall as an M5 opponent is its weight. The B5 is a 2015kg goliath , where the M5 is only 1855kg.

The result is a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds, a tenth slower than its Bimmer brother. Still, it’s the fastest accelerating model ever produced by Alpina.

In addition, the B5’s price tag is reflective of the exclusivity it’ll demand. $239,900 – plus on roads and dealer charges – will be enough to pick one up, which places it at a $9000 premium over the last M5’s $230,900. We don’t expect the new M5’s price to stray very far from that.

With Alpina’s re-tuned version of the M5’s all-wheel-drive system, we aren’t quite sure whether the B5 will remain as slide-happy as its rear-biased relative, though Alpina says: “The DTC Mode of the Dynamic Stability Control offers an even more pronounced rear wheel drive torque distribution and allows for more slip when driving at the limit.”

That’s something a MOTOR track test can determine.

The B5 also scores forged aluminium wheels, rear-wheel steering, a new suspension setup tuned by Alpina, and a stainless steel Alpina exhaust system which has active exhaust valves.

Alpina hasn’t said whether delivery numbers of the B5 will be limited in Australia, but uptake of Alpinas as opposed to BMWs has traditionally been limited.