Aside from the touring bodystyle, the B5 Touring is otherwise unchanged from the Alpina B5 Sedan. Which is to say, its a V8 Twin Turbo monster pushing out 500HP and capable of speeds upward of 300 km/h or (190MPH) and 0-60 in 4.8seconds. Not bad for a vehicle which can do double duty as family hauler and grocery getter.
This vehicle also fills a unique niche, as there is no Touring version of the new M5, this will be the most powerful Touring available with a BMW badge at the moment.
Here is what Autocar had to say about the B5 Touring
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To understand the B5 Touring you need to put yourself in the mindset of someone who is a) extremely wealthy, b) likes driving fast, preferably down quiet, derestricted autobahns in order to avoid having to fly, and c) also wants a quantifiably comfortable car to drive. People who buy Alpinas are not people who can’t afford a factory M car. They are people who don’t want such a manic driving experience as that offered by an M machine, but who want the same kind of straight line performance.
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Yet for a specific type of customer, there is little else to touch a B5 Touring. We drove this car from Alpina’s factory in the middle of Bavaria back to the UK, which was the perfect environment in which to sample its mile eating capabilities. It’s hard to think of many other cars that would have felt so comfortable over the same journey, or as quick, and which could have swallowed so much kit while returning just over 25mpg.
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[Source:
Autocar.uk]
