Members of the media were invited by ALPINA to discover the B5 GT in The Netherlands at the Zandvoort track where the company’s most powerful production car was shown alongside other special 5er models. One of the many interesting cars was this “Edition 50” that came out in 2015 to celebrate half a century since the Buchloe-based company was founded. Only 50 were ever made and buyers got to choose between this sedan or the more practical Touring.
With this being ALPINA’s own car, it’s no wonder that it looks factory fresh, even though the last B5 Edition 50 was manufactured back in 2016. While this vehicle is finished in ALPINA Blue II, those who purchased the special version also got to choose from Black Sapphire, Mineral White, ALPINA Green II, and Sepia from the BMW Individual catalog. Those 20-inch wheels with a 20-spoke design may look instantly familiar but these were a new forged set at that time, removing a total of 15.6 kilograms (34.3 pounds).
The brakes were also exclusive to this car, featuring larger rear discs hugged by blue calipers. At an additional cost, ALPINA sold the B5 Edition 50 with a high-performance Brembo set. There were also some suspension changes necessary after fitting the wider wheels. Another important upgrade was the Akrapovic exhaust system with an active valve and a titanium construction shaving off a substantial 17 kilograms (37 pounds).
Much like the B5 GT we mentioned in the beginning, Edition 50 was ALPINA’s most powerful car at launch. It had the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 dialed to 591 hp (441 kilowatts) and 800 Nm (588 lb-ft) of torque. All that output was routed to the wheels via a beefier eight-speed ZF automatic transmission helping the sedan hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds before topping out at 204 mph (328 km/h).
All 50 cars had piano black trim with “Edition 50” lettering as well as the signature of founder Burkard Bovensiepen. To set them apart from the regular B5 Bi-Turbo, ALPINA added a 1965-2015 engraving, metal emblems on the seats, and the option to go for a Heritage interior (as featured here) with a finish mimicking the upholstery used in the 1982 B7 S Turbo Coupe.
Photos: ALPINA
