To celebrate 50 years as a bespoke car manufacturer Alpina has created the ‘Edition 50’, based on the B5 and B6 Bi-Turbo models. These are based on the current BMW 5 Series and 6 Series.
Sitting under the bonnet is a revised version of the ’50i’ 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8. Performance enhancements include Aplina-specific turbochargers that deliver up to 17.4psi of boost, two Alpina-developed water-cooled intercoolers, new lightweight pistons, a lightweight titanium exhaust – developed by Akrapovic – and a large capacity oil cooler.
Alpina has also paid attention to maximising air flow by using short intake paths for near-instantaneous throttle response, and revised many of the engine’s components for strength and longevity.
Output for the Edition 50 B5 and B6 Bi-Turbo models sit at 441kW and 800Nm, up 44kW and 70Nm from the standard B5 and B6 models. While 0-100km/h will pop up in just 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 328km/h.
Inside the Edition 50, drivers are greeted with a new Aplina Classic steering wheel, Aplina piano black trimmings, a special ‘1965-2015’ logo on the metal seat emblems, and ceramic finish controls. The leather sports seats can be specially tailored to suit the buyer’s needs in terms of colour and styling.
All up Aplina will offer 50 sedans or estates for the B5, and 50 coupes based on the B6. Andreas Bovensiepen, Alpina CEO and son of the company’s founder Burkard Bovensiepen, said,
“Alpina is a company that creates subtly stylish, very high performance cars that can be tailored to each customer’s personal requirements, yet offer the long-term comfort and durability required for daily use. We have a unique philosophy and a commitment to engineering excellence that we intend to maintain and build on across the next 50 years.”
