Alpina celebrates 50 years with super saloon

Bespoke car manufacturer Alpina will create 50 remarkable saloons (or estates) and 50 similar coupes to celebrate the company's half century this year. Based on the B5 Bi-Turbo and the B6 Bi-Turbo respectively, each vehicle will include handcrafted Edition 50 body and trim features and a remarkable, heavily revised V8 that will propel the luxury five seater from 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 328km/h. Alpina's fifty-year heritage includes the creation of some of Europe's most highly-regarded luxury performance road cars and iconic race cars including the legendary BMW 3.0 CSL. With an astonishing 800Nm of torque and 600bhp, Edition 50 is the most powerful road car ever developed by the German company.

Based on BMW's proven 4.4-litre V8, the B5 Bi-Turbo's heavily-revised engine uses two Alpina-specific turbochargers located between the cylinder banks, operating in parallel, delivering up to 1.2 bar. Particular attention has been paid to air flow optimisation, with short intake paths and optimised radii to allow near-instantaneous throttle response. Many other engine components have also been optimised for very high performance with long life, including new light-weight pistons designed to accommodate the high thermal loads of prolonged high-performance driving.

Compared with the standard B5 Bi-Turbo, further optimisation of the induction system, a high-capacity fuel system and other unique upgrades have released an additional 70Nm of torque and 60bhp for the Edition 50 yet the car offers the same high levels of durability that would be expected from any Alpina.

Inside, the Edition 50 can be specified with unique, handcrafted sports seats in black leather with luxurious Forest Green quilting on the squab and backrest centre sections, complemented by yellow and black stitching. A special '1965 - 2015' logo appears on metal emblems on the seat backs, in the carpets and on the key ring. Each car's limited edition number will be displayed on a production plaque on the centre console and also on the reverse of the keyring. A host of other luxury features include ceramic finish controls, a full leather instrument panel and two additional levels of optional interior leatherwork, created and fitted at Alpina's saddlery.

Each car will be available in Alpina Green or Alpina Blue, or in a bespoke Edition 50 Sepia created by BMW Individual. Alpina's iconic decal sets can be specified along the sides and on the front spoiler, in coordinating green or blue with Edition 50 lettering.