Alpina B6 Bi-Turbo Edition 50
Celebrating 50 Years of Bavarian Beauties
Whether in life or in business, 50 years of success certainly calls for a special occasion. And if you’ve been tuning high-end BMWs since the 1960’s, what better way to celebrate than with a limited-edition run of 50 vehicles—enter the Alpina B6 Bi-Turbo EDITION 50—showcasing all the qualities which have made your company’s products coveted amongst automotive connoisseurs worldwide.
It’s Technically an Alpina, not a BMW
Alpina is recognized as an automobile manufacturer by the German Federal Ministry of Transport; subsequently its vehicles are registered as such—and not as BMWs as you might think. If anything, this distinction should assuage potential customers who feel an Alpina is nothing more than a BMW with a lip spoiler and larger wheels; to produce its own branded vehicle—complete with a full-backed BMW factory warranty—is also a testament to the competency of Alpina as an automotive entity.
Body Styles and Paint Colors
The B6 is available as either a convertible or two-door coupe. Standard paint colors include Black Sapphire and Mineral White, while special metallic paints colors available are ALPINA Blue, ALPINA Green or BMW Individual Sepia—a mixture of blue and black with an overlay of gold metallic. Special edition decals are generally frowned upon—too gaudy—but the Alpina Deco-Set EDITION 50 lettering in Blue or Green matt, especially when applied color-on-color, proudly displays the heritage of the Alpina brand without being overly overt.
Alpina Classic 20” Forged Aluminum “Side-Cut” Wheels
A wise man once said, “wheels make the car.” I don’t think this gem of advice could be truer in the case of any group of vehicles than for the Alpina model range, made instantly discernible from their factory BMW counterparts by their large, multi-spoke Alpina Classic wheels. The B6 EDITION 50’s front wheels are up a half-inch from the standard Alpina B6 Bi-Turbo 20×8.5 to 20×9; the rears remain the same at 20×10. Starting with forged aluminum alloy and the employment of “side-cuts” to reduce material on each of the spokes, unsprung mass is down by 34.4 lbs from the standard B6’s 20’s.
4.4-liter V8 Bi-Turbo 600-hp / 590-ft lbs.
Alpina is more about everyday comfort and durability than strictly performance numbers. The 600-hp, 4.4-liter V8-powered B6 Bi-Turbo EDITION 50 isn’t that much faster than the range topping 650i (445-hp/480-ft lbs.), but its thoroughly reworked engine—replete with Mahle pistons—delivers copious amounts of low-end torque and more than adequate top-end pull with an estimated 203 mph maximum velocity—characteristics both perfectly suited for boulevard cruising or Autoban blasting. Two large, specially designed turbochargers operating in parallel produce 17.4 psi of boost; the air charge is kept cool by three intercoolers and a minimal length intake.
Pricing and Availability
As the model’s name indicates, the Alpina B6 Bi-Turbo EDITION 50 is limited to only 50 units. The coupe starts at $147,509 while the convertible will run you $156,990. At that price point, one could fall victim to a serious headache pondering all the potential toys within reach, but for unostentatious class and a pampered daily commute, it’s pretty hard to top an Alpina.
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