Leave it to Carwow to organize an exciting drag race that appeals to BMW enthusiasts as Mat Watson and his team lined up three super sedans. They’re all E39s and special in their own ways as we’re dealing with BMW’s own M5 fighting against ALPINA’s B10 V8 S and the B10 V8. These cars come from the naturally aspirated era when there was no such thing as an all-wheel-drive M5.
The B10 V8 S is perhaps the most interesting of the trio, rocking a 4.8-liter V8 making 380 hp and 510 Nm of torque channeled to the rear axle via a five-speed automatic transmission. The B10 has a slightly smaller 4.6-liter engine with 340 hp and 470 Nm also routed to the back through a five-speed auto. The non-S may be down on power, but at 1,660 kilograms, it’s 30 kg lighter than the B10 S and a considerably 135 kg lighter than the M5.
Speaking of which, BMW’s very own high-performance saloon boasts a 4.9-liter V8 packing 400 hp and 500 Nm transferred to the rear axle through a six-speed manual. Behind the wheel is none other than racing driver Ben Collins, former The Stig during the golden days of Top Gear. He’s driving the only car of the three to have a clutch pedal, so it should be an interesting drag race.
After 14.6 seconds, the B10 V8 S was the first to complete the quarter mile, making it two-tenths of a second quicker than the M5. The standard ALPINA B10 V8 was dead last by crossing the finish line in 15.2 seconds. In the subsequent rolling race from first gear, the two models from Buchloe were neck and neck at the end while the M5’s acceleration was hindered by the laggy gearbox when Ben Collins switched to second gear.
The rolling race was repeated, but with the cars in second gear. The outcome was much closer, and yet the BMW had to settle for third place once again. The final race to the half-mile mark was done from 50 mph with the cars in third gear. The M5 did eventually manage to win one by stopping first from 30 mph in the brake test.
Source: Carwow / YouTube
