Dan Trent: BMWs were the best in the '90s

Sadly this wasn’t commercially sustainable and each faced some sort of wobble along the way, all eventually realising survival depended on building more cars at lower cost. The point where this moment came – or was forced upon them – can be easily identified in each brand’s portfolio, the modern interpretation of brand values and perceived quality overcoming initial stumbles and cementing the German domination of the premium sector.

All of which is a long way of justifying my belief that the E39 5 Series represents a high-point in BMW saloon cars, just at the contemporary 993-era 911 is considered peak modern Porsche. I could pick out examples from all the other German brands but you get my point. My recent awakening to this came in the unexpected surroundings of a rain-soaked Surrey farmyard surrounded by a specialist dealer’s selection of '90s BMWs, any one of which I’d have happily driven home in. There were E39 5 Series and E38 7 Series of all shapes and sizes, up to and including a V12-powered, long-wheelbase armoured version of the latter complete with reclining rear seats and a giant VHS player mounted on the back of the front seat. Somewhat different from the tablet interfaces and gesture control of the latest uber 7 Series but charming in itself.

If I’d had to drive away in one I’d taken this rather lovely Alpina-enhanced 5 Series. There are only two ways you could improve on this high-water mark in this definitive BMW’s history, one by going the in-house route to the stonking V8-powered M5, the other by hunting down an Alpina.

To the uninitiated, this just looks like a '90s BMW on spangly aftermarket wheels, plenty of owners limiting their Alpina treatment to just that. The real thing is a lot more serious, Alpina’s modifications extensive enough for it to qualify as a manufacturer in its own right much as Brabus is to Mercedes and Ruf to Porsche. 

Why would you have an Alpina BMW over an M one though, especially given they both made go-faster E39s based around V8 engines? It’s all about the character. An M5 is all about the motorsport-influenced power and handling where Alpina combines performance with a more understated sense of luxury and opulence. Alpinas are fast but they’re also refined and cossetting, the interiors typically extravagantly trimmed in (occasionally lairy) leather and wood, the trademark bodywork pin-striping a tad kitsch but cool in its own way, especially paired with the distinctive wheels.

There was a V8-powered B10, eventually turning out 375hp in S trim. If I were to have a V8 E39 I’d have to have an M5 though, which is why this straight-six B10 3.3 appeals so much. Based on the 193hp 528i, it was uprated to 280hp and would, I think, have just the right balance of performance and refinement. I’ve wittered on about my love of BMW six-cylinder engines several times before; this one with a tickle from Alpina has all that desirability plus a little bit more. You could get the Alpinas as Touring models too, which is a very appealing idea and one BMW never offered in M form. To my mind BMWs are best as saloons though, which is why this one looks just about perfect.

If nothing else it proves ‘aftermarket’ covers a lot more than loud exhausts, big spoilers and daft power outputs. In Alpina’s case, it’s about taking an already brilliant BMW and making it even better, with a touch of style and class all of its own.