Alpina reveals 328km/h M5 slayer

Famous BMW car tuner Alpina has revised its take on the M5 sedan that comes with an incredible 441kW and is capable of cracking 328km/h.

Called the Alpina B5 Biturbo, the new super sedan (and wagon) is powered by the BMW M5’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 but has had power boosted to 441kW/801Nm. The same engine was used in the very limited Alpina Edition 50 model that was released earlier this year, but the new B5 Biturbo model isn’t volume limited.

Like that car, instead of sticking with the M5’s dual-clutch (DCT) transmission, Alpina has stuck to its guns and used its gearbox of choice, the ZF eight-speed automatic. Despite the presence of a torque converter, the B5 still manages to hit 100km/h from standstill in just 4.2 seconds.

The recently launched M5 30 Jahre Edition, which also gets a power boost to 441kW, beats that time -- and hits 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds -- but the Alpina claws back an advantage with its unlimited top speed.

This means that instead of being limited to 250km/h, the sedan tops out at an incredible 328km/h. Even the heavier Touring wagon is still capable of a stunning 323km/h.

To help channel the extra power to the road the Alpina gains both a limited-slip differential and adaptive dampers.

For those who desire even more performance, the B5 Biturbo’s performance can be enhanced even further with an optional Akrapovic titanium exhaust that shaves an impressive 17kg off the kerbweight and boosts power and torque by an undisclosed amount.

In Europe the B5 sedan is priced from $155,000 while the wagon’s pricing begins at around $160,000.

Alpina-enhanced BMWs are not currently sold here in Australia, but that could change soon following the news that BMW Australia’s has been evaluating the smaller M4-based 301kW Alpina B4 Biturbo for sale here, even going as far as splashing out a significant amount of money for ADR homologation.

If introduced, Alpinas -- which are part-built on BMW’s production line before handing over to Alpina for completion -- could be launched as a sub-brand sold through official BMW dealers. If that’s case expect them to be cheaper and sit below the German car-maker’s own M-badged models.