M5 Sedan

Make
BMW
Segment
Sedan

Earlier this year, Alpina revealed facelifted versions of its B5 and D5 S models, available in sedan and wagon bodystyles. It's been several years since we saw a BMW M5 wagon and the Alpina B5 is the closest thing we have to that right now. With 613 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque coming from a tuned 4.4-liter V8, the B5 can nearly match the current 2021 BMW M5 Sedan, posting a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds in wagon form compared to the M5's 3.1-second time in Competition guise.

In the real world, there would barely be a noticeable performance difference between the two cars, but aftermarket tuning company McChip-DKR wanted to close the gap. The German tuner has plenty of experience working on cars from Audi, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and even turned its attention to an AMG-powered Aston Martin.

The company has now released its Stage 1 tune for the Alpina B5, notably the outgoing pre-facelift model that went on sale in 2017. That B5 was still one of the fastest wagon models ever built, with its 4.4-liter V8 generating 608 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, enabling it to reach a 200 mph top speed.

McChip-DKR took this already-outrageous output and bumped it up to 710 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. These are impressive gains of 102 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque.

What's most special about Alpina-tuned cars is that they offer sensational speed without the harshness of an M car. We hope that the Stage 1 tune doesn't ruin the Alpina's comfortable driving experience. Sadly, the Alpina B5 is not sold in the United States as a sedan or a wagon, so there's no way to buy this car here. The tune itself isn't too pricey at €1,851 ($2,261), so perhaps McChip-DKR can offer it for one of the Alpina models that are sold stateside, like the B7 sedan or XB7 SUV.