One of the cars people seem to be asking for, over and over again without it ever actually being delivered, is a BMW M5 Touring. Some models were offered over time, with the most recent being an absolutely incredible E63 M5, powered by the S85-codenamed 5-liter V10 . However, in more recent years BMW has been adamant on claiming that the Touring body style wouldn’t fare just as good as the sedan when pushed on the track and therefore decided to keep it off limits. Luckily for us, Alpina has a damn good alternative on offer.
If you really crave a Touring 5 Series with enough power to move actual mountains, the Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo Touring model will be exactly what you’re looking for. Recently unveiled, the model comes with a similar 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine as fitted on the upcoming M5. However, the base N63 engine was heavily modified to deliver more power and torque even than the M version itself. The B5 Biturbo comes with 608 PS and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft), numbers that most likely will be enough to carry you, your family, your luggage and probably the house next door comfortably during your time away from home.
Chip in the fact that the Alpina also comes with AWD and you start to realize that this thing will be blazing fast off the line. How fast? Well, the Bovensiepen manufacturer claims that the B5 Bi-Turbo Touring can reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from standstill in 3.6 seconds and then go up to a top speed of over 200 mph, 203 to be more precise or 325 km/h. Whether any family man would actually need to go that fast remains to be seen but it definitely is nice to know you can.
Furthermore, for the first time, the new Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo features Integral Active Steering which in conjunction with the high-performance drivetrain and the all-wheel drive system offers an even more dynamic driving experience. The Integral Active Steering combines a variable ratio electric steering system at the front axle with active steering on the rear axle whereby the wheels can turn a maximum of 2.5 degrees.
