BMW Alpina firms for Oz

BMW Australia may be keeping mum on the potential for a range of Alpina-tuned models to be officially released for the first time Down Under but that hasn't stopped the German performance house spilling the beans on the plan.

As we reported last September, BMW Australia has received federal type approval to sell Alpina’s B4 Biturbo here and it admits the sports coupe is under evaluation for the local market, but won't comment further.

Now, an Alpina executive has confirmed plans to export not just the 4 Series-based B4 to Australia for the first time, but potentially a range of Alpina models including the 5 Series-based B5 and new 7 Series-based B7.

"We want to start this year," said Daniela Schmid, Alpina Sales Manager for Australia, China and Singapore.

"Of course we're also thinking of the B5 and B7, but for the first stage it's B4.

"Then we need to see what's requested, what the demand is and what cars would work."

The Alpina for Oz plan kicked off when a high-profile Melbourne BMW dealer sought to import the brand in its own right. BMW Australia stepped in at that time.

Alpina’s Schmid cautioned that the pan was not officially signed off and it remains unclear whether the federal government's relaxation on parallel vehicle imports, which BMW Australia itself has criticised, will have an impact on the local Alpina business case.

"There is a plan, but nothing is confirmed yet," she told motoring.com.au.

However, it costs a significant amount of money for a car company to homologate a model for Australian roads, which BMW successfully achieved with the B4 in June – before the federal government announced new parallel import laws from 2018.

If introduced here, the Alpina range could provide BMW with an additional performance sub-brand to bridge the gap between its M models and the mainstream vehicles on which they're based.

For example, the B4 delivers 301kW (down from the M4 Coupe's 317kW) but, thanks to the use of sequential turbochargers, punches out 600Nm of torque in eight-speed automatic guise. This is 50Nm more than the M4.

The coupe is claimed to hit 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds -- one-tenth longer than the M4 with its seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

Apart from the upgraded powertrain, Alpina’s 4 Series Coupe also features a reworked chassis with revised springs, dampers, steering and wheels.

The 435i-based B4 sells in Germany for €68,900, making cheaper in its home market than the M4 Coupe, which costs €72,500 there and $166K here.

That suggests the Alpina brand – for this vehicle at least – could be introduced to Australia as an exclusive sub-brand sold through BMW dealers at a more affordable price than the M Cars. That would be in keeping with BMW’s most recent pricing initiative, introducing a more affordable M5 for $185,000.

Alpina has a long-established association with BMW, in much the same way that Brabus shares with Mercedes-Benz, or Polestar with Volvo.

In Germany, Alpina is deemed a manufacturer rather than a vehicle modifier, as is the case with HSV in Australia. BMW part-builds the Alpina models on its own production line before handing the cars over to Alpina for completion.

In Europe, Alpina offers a host of enhanced-performance models based on 3 Series, 4 Series, X1, 5 and 6 Series, including diesels.

Alpina released its new B5 sedan and wagon in November, powered by a 441kW/801Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that allows it to hit 100km/h in 4.2sec and a 328km/h top speed, despite employing an eight-speed auto instead of sticking with the M5’s dual-clutch (DCT) transmission.

Although it's not quicker than the quickest BMW M5 (0-100km/h in 3.9sec), the B5 is faster and gains both a limited-slip differential and adaptive dampers.

For those who desire even more performance, the B5 Biturbo’s performance can be enhanced with an optional Akrapovic titanium exhaust that shaves an impressive 17kg off the kerb weight 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's newest model is the B7 launched at the Geneva show overnight and based on the new 7 Series limousine.

The largest Alpina gains the same 441kW/801Nm outputs as the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 in the B5, but makes well over 80 per cent of its maximum torque from just 2000rpm and, in all-wheel drive form, is one of the fastest sedans ever made.

From rest, Alpina claims the B4 xDrive can reach 60mph in just 3.6sec and exceed 330km/h.

The differences between BMW’s M5 engine and the B7’s engine are huge, says Alpina.

The B7 gets new twin-scroll turbochargers with enlarged inlet and outlet diameters that produce 20psi boost pressure, a new air intake system and a new indirect intercooler system (air to water).

The engine block itself, meanwhile, also comes with new Mahle pistons that can withstand a new higher compression ratio of 10.0:1 and the high turbo boost pressures. Finally, there’s a new exhaust system that reduces back pressure and weight. The same system also has active exhaust valves.

To help cope with the extra power and performance over the standard 7 Series the B7 gets tweaked air suspension that incorporates active roll stabilisation and rear-wheel steering.

With a ride height that can be adjusted manually or automatically at speeds over 225km/h, the B7 rides 20mm lower for greater stability and less aerodynamic drag. The same system can be raised 20mm at urban speeds of less than 30km/h to clear speed humps or steep driveways.