Exclusive: ALPINA Built A Secret X5 Before BMW Took It Over
ALPINA
Before the XB7, ALPINA built a secret V8 X5. It sold BMW on the idea and gave rise to 10,467 X5 4.6iS SUVs.
Article Summary
- ALPINA secretly fitted an E53 X5 with the V8 from its E39 B10 V8 at BMW’s request, building a working prototype almost entirely in-house.
- Buchloe couldn’t handle the 3,500 units a year BMW wanted, so BMW took the project over and built the engine in Spartanburg with ALPINA-supplied internals.
- The result was the X5 4.6iS, with 10,467 built, while the original ALPINA prototype ended its life doing parts runs for BMW Classic before being scrapped.
For decades, the name ALPINA has meant one thing: understated, effortlessly fast luxury. Ever since Burkard Bovensiepen set up shop in 1965, the Buchloe-based manufacturer has built a cult following on subtle body kits, iconic multi-spoke wheels, and a massive wave of torque when cruising on the autobahn. But when most enthusiasts picture an ALPINA, they think of low-slung sedans and coupes, such as the B7 S Turbo, B10 BiTurbo, and B12 5.7, not high-riding family haulers.
When ALPINA officially entered the U.S. market in 2002, it wasn’t with a sedan at all, but with a proper legend: the ALPINA V8 Roadster (E52 Z8). It was powered by a bored-and-stroked 4.8-liter M62 V8 paired with a five-speed Switch-Tronic automatic gearbox. ALPINA built just 555 units worldwide and sent 450 of them stateside.
It took another 11 years for Buchloe to stake its claim in the SUV/SAV boom, finally launching the diesel-powered XD3 BiTurbo in 2013. American buyers, however, had to wait until 2021 to get their hands on a big, high-performance ALPINA bruiser with the arrival of the 612-horsepower XB7. The ironic part? BMW builds its X models right here in Spartanburg, South Carolina. So even though ALPINA’s SAVs had American roots from the start, U.S. buyers spent eight long years watching Europe have all the fun.
History, though, came shockingly close to looking very different. Two decades before the XB7 took over the fast lane, ALPINA almost built a performance SUV that would have sold like hotcakes here in the United States: the ALPINA X5 (E53). The following story was told by former ALPINA CEO Andreas Bovensiepen during
The Secret Prototype That Changed Everything
When BMW rolled out the original E53 X5, Wolfgang Reitzle, Head of Development at BMW, and Burkhard Göschel, BMW board member, knew the chassis was solid. But for anyone wanting real speed, the standard 4.4-liter V8 felt a bit tame. Reitzle picked up the phone and called his close friend, ALPINA founder Burkard Bovensiepen, to see if Buchloe could inject some life into BMW’s new high-rider.
ALPINA didn’t overthink it. They went straight to the top shelf and pulled the engine from the E39 B10 V8. Engineers stuffed that motor into an E53 body, creating a secret, fully functional prototype built almost entirely in-house. Reitzle originally wanted ALPINA to handle production themselves, aiming for around 3,500 units a year. The problem? Buchloe’s small facility simply couldn’t handle that kind of volume without upending its entire operation. Still, ALPINA kept refining the test mule to show BMW what the platform could really do.
When BMW executives finally took the prototype for a spin, they were completely sold.
And The BMW X5 4.6iS Was Born
The setup was so good that BMW offered to take over the project and release it as an official factory model. Mr. Bovensiepen was more than happy to hand over the reins, mostly because he wasn’t crazy about putting an ALPINA badge on an SUV anyway. Under the agreement, ALPINA supplied the heavy-duty engine internals, including the crankcase from its F3/F4 engine setups. BMW then assembled the powerplants directly on the line in South Carolina, designating the engine M62TUB46.
That secret test mule became the blueprint for a growing legend: the BMW X5 4.6iS. Rather than ending up as a rare boutique project, the 4.6iS was built in Spartanburg to the tune of 10,467 units. It turned the original X5 into an instant classic and proved that a heavy SUV could handle like a real driver’s car, all thanks to a quiet collaboration with Buchloe.
Exclusive photos show an ALPINA-tuned interior with a combination of purple and blue leather on the seats, center console and on the doors. Naturally, an ALPINA steering wheel was also installed. Fun fact: BMW Classic actually put the secret prototype to work as a utility vehicle for a few years, using it for daily parts runs. Sadly, there was no fairytale ending. It was eventually scrapped.
[Photos provided for editorial purposes by Todd Goldberg / instagram.com/OGX5M]
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments