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Lexus GS vs BMW Alpina B5

What's the difference?

VS
Lexus GS
Lexus GS

$119,888 - $119,888

2018 price

BMW Alpina B5
BMW Alpina B5

2020 price

Summary

2018 Lexus GS
2020 BMW Alpina B5
Safety Rating

Engine Type
V6, 3.5L

Twin Turbo V8, 4.4L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
9.3L/100km (combined)

10.9L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Thirst
  • Media system
  • No Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

  • Cleaning the wheels
  • Room and storage space could be better
  • Not the most engaging car to drive
2018 Lexus GS Summary

Ah, yes, the Lexus GS. Toyota's luxury off-shoot had high hopes for the new big boy when I first saw it a few years ago. Not thousands-of-sales high hopes, but the company thought a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan stacked with gear you didn't even know you wanted would be a dead-set winner.

And to be fair, they were right. I ran a GS as a long-termer and it was impeccably-mannered. In hybrid form. It wasn't sparkling, but my goodness, it used barely any fuel; especially impressive given its size.

As the sun is surely setting on the GS, it's time to have a look and see if it's a match for the BMW 5 Series or the Mercedes E.

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2020 BMW Alpina B5 Summary

The BMW Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo is not actually a BMW. Not according to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, at least.

Nope, the modifications applied by tuning house Alpina to the 5 Series are deemed so significant that if you open the bonnet and look inside the engine bay, you'll see that the BMW VIN has been struck through twice and an Alpina vehicle number stamped underneath it. 

The B5 is not the first model to be recognised in this way, either; the German government has recognised Alpina as a seperate car manufacturer since 1983.

The B5 has other ‘B' siblings, too. There's the B3 S Bi-Turbo, which is based on the BMW 3 Series, the B4 S Bi-Turbo (the BMW 4 Series) and the B7 Bi-Turbo (I don't need to tell you what this is based on, right?) which I've reviewed, too.

So just what has Alpina done to this unsuspecting BMW 5 Series? Is it really worth the extra money? How does the B5 compare to an M5? Could it actually be superior? And did they really take the speed limiter off to let it warp-speed to beyond 300km/h?

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Deep dive comparison

2018 Lexus GS 2020 BMW Alpina B5

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