With the current BMW 5 Series on its way out, tuning firm Alpina is closing out its related B5 with a more powerful limited edition model.
The 2023 Alpina B5 GT will be available in both sedan and Touring wagon body styles and will be limited to just 250 units worldwide, none of which will be coming here.
Under the bonnet is a twin-turbocharged 4.4 litre V8 engine which Alpina claims is its most powerful engine to date, pumping out 466kW of power and 850Nm of torque.
That’s an extra 6kW and 100Nm over a BMW M5 Competition, and 19kW and 50Nm up on the regular B5.
Alpina says the additional power comes from updated flow-optimised air intake ducts and silencers and updates to the engine software.
The added engine performance will take the B5 GT sedan from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds, while the Touring will take 3.6 seconds. Top speed is 330km/h for the sedan and 322km/h for the Touring.
As with the regular B5, drive is sent through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels.
Alpina claims the B5 GT has better handling thanks to optimised roll support on the rear axles and a dome-bulkhead-strut for front-end stability, as well as a marginally lower ride height that reduces the centre of gravity in the Touring.
The B5 GT will run on the latest version of the 20-inch, 20-spoke Alpina wheels, featuring B5 GT lettering and wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tyres.
Behind the alloy wheels are lightweight Brembo brake discs measuring 395mm at the front and 398mm at the back, and highly heat-resistant brake pads provide improved pedal feedback.
While the B5 GT’s exterior doesn’t differ significantly from the regular B5, there are aerodynamic changes including dive planes and partial front splitters on the front spoiler for improved downforce.
There’s an Alpina twin sports exhaust system with a middle silencer configuration and a glossy black finish thanks to a titanium nitride coating.
Exterior colours include the standard Alpina Blue and Alpina Green, as well as specialty colours Petrol Mica, Verde British Racing, Chalk, Imola Red, Daytona Violet and Arctic Race Blue.
Examples finished in Marron Volciano, Blue Matt and Green Matt are also available with the traditional Alpina Deco-set side stripes.
The standard interior includes Nappa leather upholstery in several colours, with embroidered B5 GT lettering across the headrests and floor mats, as well as a heated steering wheel with aluminium paddle shifters, and Walnut Anthracite fine-wood trim throughout the cabin.
A full-leather Merino interior is optional, or buyers can choose a bespoke naturally tanned Lavalina leather interior created exclusively by Alpina’s in-house saddlery. This option will only be available in limited numbers.
The bespoke upholstery option also includes sports seats with flared side bolsters, finished in Black Dakota leather with Black Alcantara seat centres and blue accents.
Each B5 GT will be fitted with a stainless steel production plate on both the centre console and engine, specifying the unique production number of the limited edition model.
Alpina has confirmed German pricing for the B5 GT, with the sedan priced at €145,500 (A$225,000) and the Touring priced at €148,500 (A$230,000).
The tuning firm has already begun accepting orders for the B5 GT and deliveries are expected to begin in July 2023.
“Alpina sells around forty to fifty cars per year in Australia; the market is growing every year since the launch of the brand in 2015,” said a company spokesperson, noting the B5 – discontinued locally in 2020 – was a particularly low-volume vehicle.
“Because Alpina is a manufacturer, the homologation procedure is the same as for other manufacturers like BMW or Mercedes-Benz.
“The homologation costs and the fact that we couldn’t use a similar basis for the homologation (no V8 Touring in the BMW Portfolio) led us to the decision to stop the B5 from LCI in Australia.
“The BMW Alpina B5 GT is worldwide limited to 250 units which are almost sold out and won’t be available in Australia.”
MORE: Everything Alpina B5
