In March 1989, Buchloe was home to the fastest series-production sedan in the world: the Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo, based on the 5 Series of the E34 model line. 291 km/h top speed, 5.6 seconds to 100 — figures that rivalled supercars at the time, packaged in a four-door sedan with fine understatement.
Two turbochargers for the big six-cylinder
The base was BMW’s three-and-a-half-litre inline six-cylinder M30, to which Alpina added two water-cooled Garrett T25 turbochargers. The result: 360 PS at 6,000 rpm and 520 Nm at 4,000 rpm. By then Alpina was no longer just a tuner but a registered automobile manufacturer — the B10 Bi-Turbo carried its own chassis number from Buchloe.
Double the M5 price, half the M5 presence
Alpina charged 146,800 Deutsche Mark at launch — almost twice that of a M5 E34, which at the same time offered 315 PS. In return, buyers got the faster car and the quieter appearance. Road & Track legend Paul Frère summed it up: “For me this is the car … I think this is the best 4-door in the world.”
The plain numbers
| Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo | BMW M5 (E34, 3.6) | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 360 PS at 6,000 rpm | 315 PS at 6,900 rpm |
| Torque | 520 Nm | 360 Nm |
| Top speed | 291 km/h | 250 km/h (limited) |
| Units built | 507 (1989–1994) | 12,254 (all E34 M5) |
507 units were built up until 1994. Today, the B10 Bi-Turbo is one of the most sought-after Alpina models of all — the detailed model history can be found on our page dedicated to the Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo.
Sources: Wikipedia (EN): Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo (power, production numbers, price, Frère quote); Wikipedia (EN): BMW M5. Photo: nakhon100 (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.