The BMW 5 Series G30 is going out with a proverbial bang as the limited-run B5 GT is the most powerful car ever launched by the Buchloe-based brand. The niche automaker is celebrating the illustrious past of amped-up 5er models by dusting off some of its own cars, including the B7S Turbo E12 we talked about earlier this week. A fresh gallery shows its successor, an immaculate B7 Turbo E28 that hasn’t aged a day.
While the aforementioned E12 didn’t have to face an internal rival with the BMW badge, this E28 had to fight the very first M5. The two cars were launched around the same time, in 1984. ALPINA continued production until July 1987 and ended up making some 278 examples. These super sedans used a modified M30 inline-six engine equipped with a KKK turbocharger and lighter Mahle pistons. Additional tweaks included a new Motronic engine management system and further tweaks to the camshaft and cylinder head.
The 3.4-liter engine was massaged to push out 300 horsepower and a respectable 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque in the later Katalysator models. That was enough punch for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.9 seconds. Flat out, the B7 Turbo did 162 mph (260 km/h). The earlier cars without a catalytic converter had a higher output of 320 hp and 508 Nm (375 lb-ft).
As to how much these are worth nowadays, one of the 42 Katalysator cars was sold on Bring A Trailer in November 2021 for a staggering $162,535. For the sake of comparison, the M5 CS went on sale earlier the same year at a much lower asking price of $142,000.
A new 5 Series (G60) was introduced back in May by BMW and it has already received the M Performance treatment, plus the promise of an M5 Touring in 2024. It’s too soon to say whether ALPINA will release another B5.
[Photos: ALPINA]
