Alpina B5 Touring AWD
PRICE £97,500 POWERTRAIN 4395cc 32v twin-turbo V8, eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive PERFORMANCE 613bhp @ 5500rpm, 590lb ft @ 2000rpm, 3.6sec 0-62mph, 200mph
WEIGHT 2155kg EFFICIENCY 25.2mpg, 256g/km CO2
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‘These days, nothing at all can be taken for granted,’ he tells me. ‘At present, the CO2 limit we must meet is a relatively do-able 214g/km, but the roadmap will impose much tougher rules. We have, in other words, no choice but to start offering plug-in hybrids in the not too distant future and to seriously consider our own EV.
‘The V8, which is part of our DNA, won’t fit the picture forever. As a result, we are closely monitoring BMW’s efforts with regard to EVs. One thing is clear: Alpina cannot afford to go its own independent way in terms of alternative propulsion systems. The next five to 10 years are thus an absolutely critical timeframe.’
Although insiders insist BMW will still be making the V8 through to 2031, the next B5 due in 2025 almost certainly needs a plug-in hybrid option based on the 3.0-litre straight six. Since possible modifications to the combustion engine like a pre-chamber direct-injection system would break the budget, the only alternative measure is specific software tuning related to performance electronics and battery management. Thanks to pending packaging improvements, bigger PHEV batteries are also within reach.
We’re talking in Alpina’s higgledy-piggledy Lego-castle HQ, a vast building complex extended bit by bit over time, constructed mainly from prefab washed concrete elements complemented by trademark blue and green accents. The building started modestly in the ’70s, when this part of Buchloe was still dotted with fields, farms and small houses. Now, the site is bursting at its seams, a jumble of brick-built three-storey facilities, large single-storey halls and small temporary storage areas. With a logic that’s not obvious to the outsider, there are test benches here, the sales and marketing team there, the development department somewhere that way, the leather and wood shop round the corner… And it’s stuffed to the last corner with cars old and new; camouflaged BMW factory prototypes, briefly resting Alpina mules, secondhand specials awaiting TLC. And there are rows of locked grey steel doors marked with No Entry and No Photography signs. The main complex accommodates reception, a miniature showroom with adjoining makeshift lounge and a first-floor area for conferences. It’s a bricks-and-mortar time machine casually refurbished with dots of blue paint, and – since it’s come this far – you can easily imagine it soldiering on through the next decade. You certainly hope so.
Like the big players, Alpina is ping-ponging between confidence and concern. Concern, because cottage car makers are merely passengers on the train to electric tomorrowland. Confidence, because the good times may well last long enough to properly prepare the shape of things to come.
‘I’m not certain how long the diesel will last,’ concedes Andreas. ‘In big markets like Germany and Japan, diesel and petrol are currently an even split for Alpina, and with 75 per cent repeat customers, the contribution of D3, D5 and XD3/4 to the bottom line is significant. Short term, it may help us that BMW has recently discontinued its own quad-turbo high-end ⊲
Like the big players, Alpina is ping-ponging between confidence and concern
diesel. Mid-term, however, the acceptance in Europe is bound to drop as the tailpipe regulations become tougher and tougher. The next problem child is the petrol-fed V8, which faces its own CO2 issues, to be followed by the inline six. On the petrol front, we can perhaps cushion the impact with the help of synthetic fuels. But at the end of the day it’s the total cost of ownership and the customer experience that counts. Most users do high mileages, and the Alpina is their only car. Finding a formula that keeps them happy and in the fold isn’t going to be easy.’
A PHEV pack adds about 250kg to cars which are bought primarily for their nimbleness and agility. The only way to compensate is by ensuring a best-in-class electric driving range – and in this case best-in-class means better than BMW. That’s why Alpina needs to hire software specialists, chemical engineers and mechatronics experts to develop superior algorithms, faster charge and slower discharge cycles, and a more ecient interaction with the combustion engine. At the same time, this remapped electronic DNA must emphasise the marque’s dynamic strengths without hurting the vehicle characteristics. All this has to happen in the next three years before the new 5-series (G60) and 7-series replacement (G70) hit the road. While protecting its customary niche where displacement and the number of cylinders still matter for as long as possible, Alpina is expected to start offering six-cylinder PHEV drivetrains even in models like the 3-series where BMW may favour the four. At the same time, the brothers in charge intend to zoom in on higher-margin models like the 8-series and the X7.
But don’t they also sometimes think the unthinkable and wonder about striking out on their own, I ask. How about venturing into supercar terrain with a 100 per cent pure Alpina? ‘No chance,’ answers Andreas. ‘Way back when [in the early ’90s], we briefly considered building Giugiaro’s BMW Nazca concept [initially intended to replace the M1] in small numbers, but the ends just wouldn’t meet. We’ve also looked at a continuation series of the i8 with a four-cylinder engine, yet again there was no business case. Even o¢eat ideas like planting the V8 into the B3 xDrive were quickly killed by costs. True, a new two-door Alpina would be nice to have, but there is not enough room for such a car next to the M4 and the M2 CS. Perhaps the 4-series Gran Coupe is a more feasible opportunity.’
Alpina doesn’t plan to make variants on the increasingly popular 1-series, 2-series, X1 and X2, because it doesn’t have the capacity and the margins wouldn’t be worthwhile. And it won’t be creating anything based on the X5, X6 and upcoming X8, because BMW says they’re off limits. But don’t rule out a possible involvement with the Bespoke division, intended to push Mini upmarket.
Which upcoming electric BMWs would Alpina like to work on? The i4 and i7 are of particular interest. But the very first battery-powered Alpina may well be an evolution of the iX3. How come? Because the boys from Buchloe need a quick fix, just in case the regulator tightens the rules faster than expected. Made in China by the joint venture between BMW and Brilliance, the iX3 is genetically spot-on for a timely cosmetic makeover paired with a power and range upgrade. In addition, the rear-wheel-drive crossover could benefit from the proven Alpina chassis treatment for even sportier handling in combination with a more comfortable ride.
Asked whether Alpina would consider more extensive design changes to offset increasing underbody similarities, Andreas sternly shakes his head: ‘No way. We are partners, friends, allies. Out of principle, we do nothing to upset BMW. Without their backing, Alpina would sink faster than the Titanic. That’s why we discuss every little detail, and there is no doubt who has the final say.’
While protecting its customary niche, Alpina is expected to start o ering PHEV powertrains