High-end luxury cars that are powerful and fast are the backbone of German auto brands' lineups. From models such as the Mercedes-AMG 63 E and the BMW M5 to the Porsche Panamera Turbo, some of the fastest sedans this year produced by German marques, ooze style, juiced-up engines, and top-end performance guts.
They are no strangers to creating four-door performance weapons and out of the ten fastest sedans this year, four of them are made by a German brand. This has nearly always been the case, and back in the late 1980s, a high-end sedan was created by Alpina that was the fastest in the world. Based on an equally impressive BMW model, this sedan wiped the floor in the sedan market and could take on the sports cars and supercars of the time with its performance kudos.
We are taking a look at this once-fastest four-door sedan in the world and have brought you information about its performance specifications, information about what sends this unbelievably fast German sedan to such high speeds, its production history, and why it makes for such a collector's item today.
A BMW-Alpina Performance Demon: The 1989 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo
This potent sedan is the almighty 1989 Alpina B10 B-Turbo, a twin-turbocharged, raucous engine-toting and aggressive-looking sedan that can hit the high-100s for top speed and nip at the heels of legendary sports cars and supercars of the 1980s while offering some head-turning and luxurious style in a Bimmer-looking package.
Though the B10 Bi-Turbo may look like a 1989 BMW 535i (E34 5 Series), and for good reason, it is based on it, Alpina, who produced it back in the late '80s, are not just in-house tuners like the "M" division within BMW, but they take BMW models and rebuild them into some truly outrageous models that boast some legendary performance credentials.
1989 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo Performance Specifications
This is exactly what they did, and in doing so, they created the fastest sedan in the world at the time, with a top speed of 180 MPH and a 0-60 MPH time of less than 6 seconds.
Engine
3.5-Liter Twin-Turbocharged Inline-Six
Transmission
Five-Speed Manual
Horsepower
360 Horsepower
Torque
384 LB-FT
Driveline
Rear-Wheel Drive
0-60 MPH
5.6 Seconds
Top Speed
180 MPH
To put that into perspective, the 1989 BMW M5 can sprint to 60 MPH in 6.1 seconds, the 1989 Audi V8 can muster a 9-second 0-60 MPH dash, the '89 Mercdes-Benz 300E can do it in 7.8 seconds, the '89 Nissan Skyline GTS-4 can reach 60 MPH in 6.8 seconds, and the V-6-toting Ford Taurus SHO can hit 60 in 6.7 seconds. The Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo is no slouch in the sedan segment.
Taking On Legendary Sports Cars And Supercars For Fun
It wasn't just the everyday cars that the B10 took on in 1989, though; it was also some of the most legendary sports cars and supercars of the 80s that it could keep up with. The 1989 Chevrolet Camaro I-ROC has some guts and can max out at around 150 MPH and produce an impressive 5.9-second 0-60 MPH time; the Mustang GT of the year can reach 60 in 6.1 seconds, and the '89 Supra can achieve the same sort of figure.
But if we look a bit more upscale toward the supercar market, the iconic Ferrari Testarossa has a 0-60 MPH time of 5.3 seconds, but it has the same top speed of 180 MPH as the B10. The 1989 Lotus Esprit has a much faster 0-60 MPH time of 4.7 seconds but a much lower top speed of 150 MPH, while the '89 Lamborghini Countach has a 0-60 MPH of 4.7 seconds and a marginally quicker top speed of 183 MPH, so the B10 is extremely close in terms of top speed, and that is in a sedan - not a supercar.
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The Potent Setup That Spurs The B10 Bi-Turbo On
What gives the B10 Bi-Turbo a supercar-like top speed, despite its luxurious weight of 3,737 pounds, is that it is equipped with a very impressive mill from a BMW engine family that sits under the hood of some of the German brand's most potent road-going models from the 1970s and 1980s, including the BMW 735i (E32), the BMW 635CSi (E24), and the almighty homologation special that is the 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL. That engine is a tweaked version of the BMW M30.
The BMW M30 Engine Is At Its Heart...
Sitting under the hood of the B10 Bi-Turbo is a very non-standard M30 inline-six engine, which, at the time, in its most powerful variants, could kick out up to 215 horsepower naturally aspirated (M90) and up to around 250 horsepower as turbocharged mills (M102 and M106). BMW perfected the inline-six, and the good thing about the M30 inline-six engine family is that it is very well-suited for upgrading and strikes a great balance between power, torque, and dependability - as was proven by BMW themselves since the M30 started life as a modest 148-horsepower 2.5-liter engine back in 1968 but was then hugely refined and upgraded over the years, serving as one of the longest surviving engine families in the company's history.
What is also impressive about the M30 is how robust and dependable it can be. There have been numerous examples of BMWs still cruising around with an M30 lurking under the hood with hundreds of thousands of miles on them and still running as smoothly as they have a reputation for. So, it wasn't the worst starting point for any performance sedan, so Alpina took this as a challenge to do something special with it.
But Alpina Upgrades Take Center Stage
Alpina took the already solid M30 mill and gave it a serious glow-up. Alpina equipped the M30 with a twin-turbo setup consisting of two tuned water-cooled Garrett T25 turbochargers, replaced the standard pistons with forged Mahle pistons to withstand the increased pressure and heat, and added a Bosch variable boost control system.
This is one of the standout features that aids in getting the Bi-Turbo to 60 MPH so quickly and gives you the choice of how you want to drive - spirited or insanely spirited. This system allows you to adjust boost power on the fly via a dial in the cabin up to 16 PSI. Not only is it impressive today and a cool addition, but it was exceedingly rare in the late '80s, which gives the Bi-Turbo another edge.
Additionally, Alpina paired the juiced-up M30 with a purposely built and reinforced Getrag five-speed manual transmission, which features an upgraded clutch system and not only gives you smooth and precise changes but can take the intense power from the engine.
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More Than Just A Fast Straight-Line Sedan
It's all well and good to make a sedan that is outrageously fast in a straight line, but at the end of the day, it also needs to be able to be used every day, not only for ferrying around your family and grocery shopping (which you can do thanks to a 15.9-cubic-feet of storage space) but also for having some fun away from the abandoned airfield you choose to reach its outrageous top speeds.
Key Alpina B10 Sporty Features
The 1989 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo boasts a reworked suspension compared to what is equipped to the 5 Series that it is based on. This includes Alpina-specific springs, and upgraded and stiffer anti-roll bars to reduce body roll and to improve cornering ability. Up front, Bilstein shock absorbers are utilized, while at the rear, automatic load-leveling Fitchel & Sachs shocks are equipped to maintain balance. The B10 is fitted with Michelin MXX tires for superior grip, and BMW's Automatic Stability Control (ASC) is fitted as standard, so handling is kept well in check.
Alpina fitted a 3.45:1 limited-slip differential to the B10 to deal with the aggressive acceleration prowess of the twin-turbocharged M30 and to ensure traction and a more predictable feeling when powering out of a corner, while braking has also been upgraded to top off the performance credentials of the Bi-Turbo. It showcases massive 13.1-inch front disks with four-piston calipers and 11.8-inch rear disks.
A Sports-Tuned Sedan With A Touch Of Class
In true Bavaria high-end style, the B10 Bi-Turbo is also a luxury ride that complements the animal ride you get. Inside, it features meticulously stitched Lavalina leather upholstery throughout and reupholstered for athletic support sports seats up front, sourced from BMW.
The featured Alpina-exclusive dashboard boasts a unique, dark-wood woodgrain trim. Almost directly in front of you on the instrument cluster is the boost level, while the dial to change the boost level sits next to you on the center console, an Alpina steering wheel is equipped, and an Alpina gear-shift knob cover sits pride of place to your right.
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To top it all off, the whole cabin is very driver-centric and comfortably plush, striking a balance between performance and luxury in its exceptionally German and high-performance way.
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Limited Production Means High Prices Today
The Alpina B10 B-Turbo is a beast in more flavors than one, and today, it has become a very collectible European sedan to own - for those of us who like our classic cars stock and those who like to take already potent machines and make them even more extreme. There were only a select number of B10 Bi-Turbos produced over its five-year run, and today are increasingly rare to find.
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There were only 507 B10 Bi-Turbos produced between 1989 and 1994, but there were also two years of Alpina B10s equipped with different engines utilized because the M30 mill was discontinued in '93, with the last 50 M30s ever made being shipped to Alpina to create the last run of the Bi-Turbo. When the B10 was rolled out, it cost 146,800 Deutsch Mark, or around $76,000 in today's money, so it was never a cheap performance car to own. Today, the average auction price of the Alpina B10 (E34) is $50,143. The most expensive example sold was a low-mileage 1990 B10 Bi-Turbo, which sold for $83,750, while the cheapest example sold for $17,618 (1991 B10 Bi-Turbo).
* 1989 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo. Average Used Price: $64,170.
* 1990 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo. Average Used Price: $73,310.
* 1991 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo. Average Used Price: $27,809.
* 1992 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo. Average Used Price: $44,066.
* 1993 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo. Average Used Price: N/A.
* 1994 Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo. Average Used Price: N/A.
There have only been 17 sold in the last five years, but a dollar volume of $802,000 has been generated, so they are still very popular among classic-loving performance junkies.
A Legendary Sedan With A Lot Of Followers
Alpina is highly regarded in the same leagues as the M Division, John Cooper Works, AMG, and SVT, and in 2020, they once again took the crown for the fastest four-door sedan with the Alpina B7, beating the likes of the Dodge Charger Hellcat, and the fact that the B10 Bi-Turbo is still not only a raucous weapon of German performance today but set the standard for performance sedans of the time and broke the mold of what they can be, so it has become a very sought-after model.
Any model that has been crowned as the fastest in the world deserves a special place in the hearts of performance fans, but thanks to the B10 Bi-Turbo's bespoke suspension setup, limited production run, seat-pinning 0-60 MPH times, an aggressive-sitting stance, and in-tune handling credentials, it remains a fun, heart-pounding and relatively rare car to find on the market - all the ingredients needed to make it a cult icon.
Sources: Car & Classic, Classic.com, Bitrudo's YouTube Channel, and Alpina-Archive.