2005 Alpina B5

BEAUTIFUL DESIGN AND OPTIMAL FUNCTIONALITY

That`s what you find in between the ALPINA front and rear spoilers, with their minimal front and rear lift characteristics. And despite the sizeable wheel/tyre combination, an exceptional 0.29 Cd has been achieved – all are prerequisites for the safe operation of an automobile – even at speeds exceeding 300km/h. The inter-play of struts and springs, together with the MICHELIN Pilot Sport 2 tyres (front, 245/40 ZR 19; rear 275/35 ZR 19), communicate a distinct sense of safety to the driver at every speed, all while simultaneously fulfilling the comfort demands placed on today’s luxury automobile

THE ENGINE

The B5 is powered 4.4litre V8 engine, charged by a mechanically-driven radial compressor
The powertrain of the B5 immediately impresses through its torque curve, taking on the form of a massive table mountain. At a mere 1,000rpm, just above idle, the V8 puts out 300 Newton metres of torque. Between 4,250rpm and 5,250, there’s a constant 700 Nm of twist on tap

THE GEARBOX

The connection between the engine and the big wheels is made by the same ZF six speed automatic transmision with torque convertor we find on the B6.The driver may operate the transmission in Drive mode, letting the automatic do the shifting, or may manually select the gear desired. ALPINA developed SWITCH-TRONIC many years ago for just this purpose. Two buttons on the back side of the steering wheel make removing one’s hands from the wheel when shifting redundant. The right button shifts up, the left button down – enriching the driving experience, and difficult to describe in words

THE INTERIOR

Inside we find the same Sport but elegant look. The three-spoke SWITCH-TRONIC steering wheel is gloved in soft leathers agreeable to the touch, and visually of the finest quality. The SWITCH-TRONIC buttons are ergonomically integrated on the back side of the steering wheel. Special ALPINA woods – a tradition at ALPINA – communicate warmth, as does the hand-sewn leather interior with its ALPINA identity
The blue ALPINA dials with engine oil gauge fall directly in one’s line of sight