Alpina B5 E60

A thorough scan far, far up the road, a quick nod to the M5 driver in the next lane, and a hard prod of the loud pedal to the floor. It's go time! No shift lever to hold, no clutch to finesse: just blip the paddles or let the six-speed Switch-Tronic mind its own business, while the supercharged cammer V8 is busy giving you a welter weight punch in the back or turning the rear tires into smoke all the way through second gear, if you so please. You can see off the E60 M5 driver one-handed, enjoy the fine wood and leather trimmings that cosset you, and still arrive at the estate in time for tea fresh and unruffled.On paper, the Alpina's 493 horsepower, 4398cc, 32-valve, supercharged V8 gives up a little in power, displacement and cylinder count to the in-house Motorsport machine. On the road, it's equally fast and far more relaxed in a straight line, in tune with its more touring oriented demeanor. Where the M5 is firm, well-controlled, sharp and precise, the B5 is softer, more prone to body-roll and ultimately less grippy, but also in a different league as far as comfort is concerned. Without the M5's programmable gearbox and LSD, the B5 is not really viable as a track machine, and tends to just spin its inside rear wheel out of tight turns.On fast, open stretches, however, the B5 is right on the M5's tail, and when you need forward thrust, just plant your right foot; with 132 lb-ft less torque available, the M5 driver will need 6000rpm dialed in unless he wants to be left standing. The B5 is a continent-crushing engine-car, a real engineering masterwork like the M5, but ultimately a completely different kind of car. Since they stack up at roughly the same prices, it comes down to a matter of personal needs to discern the two; or just save yourself the hassle, and buy both! - by Traian Popescu

See more: Alpina B5 E60 Photos, Alpina B5 E60 Technical Data