Bentley Flying Spur vs BMW Alpina B5

What's the difference?

There are two schools of thought when it comes to plug-in hybrids like the Flying Spur. Some people believe they provide the best of both worlds, combining elements of an EV and ICE vehicle. Others believe it’s a compromise, which requires you to carry around an electric motor and batteries you may not use much of the time.

The truth is the value of a PHEV will largely depend on how you use it. If you have a short commute and access to regular charging then it should work well for your needs, but if you need to drive longer distances and won’t charge it regularly it doesn’t make sense.

What isn’t up for debate, though, is how luxurious and premium the Flying Spur is. Sure, there are some surprisingly non-standard items that require you to spend above and beyond the already sizeable asking price, but if you do you’ll be rewarded with a car that is opulent and efficient.

The Alpina B5 is a special car – more special than most people will ever give you credit for if you own one. Those that do know what an Alpina is will let you know; people will cross dangerously busy streets to talk to you about your car. Insanely fast, almost incomprehensibly comfortable and effortlessly powerful to drive.

Bentley isn’t exactly targeting a youthful audience with this car so there’s a, shall we say, traditional design aesthetic to the Flying Spur. This is a car that’s meant to ooze sophistication and luxury and it does that with its appearance.

From the signature Bentley grille, glistening in shiny chrome, to the intricate, jewel-like detail of the headlights, through the carefully sculpted flanks and to the tapered tail the Flying Spur is all about old-school luxury.

But there are some nice modern touches, highlighted by the ‘Flying B’ bonnet mascot, which not only can retract for improved safety, but at night it illuminates when you unlock the car, lending that touch of luxury that tells you that this is a step above most rivals.

Interesting is the right word for it, because while it might be questionable that Alpina's changes to the exterior are aesthetic pleasing, they are definitely intriguing to those who aren't familiar with the brand.

First, there are those 20-spoke wheels. Alpinas have worn this style of wheel forever and they've become the most famous outward sign that this is not just another BMW. So don't under any circumstances take them off and replace them with anything else. You'd be run out of town by the Alpina mafia.

Yes, they're more painful to clean than a cheese grater (trust me, I know. And if you look closely at these images you can see the dirty bits I've missed), but if you really don't like them then perhaps it's a sign this car isn't for you.

Then there's the boot-lid spoiler. It's square and 1980s'-looking, it also appears a bit like it's been bought online and installed by a teenager, but again, this is another Alpina tradition and it suits the car's character perfectly.

All right, those pinstripes; they're known as the Deco-Set and are a hat-tip to the Alpina racecars of the 1970s and '80s. Again, don't take these off, your Alpina will drop through the centre of the Earth in value. These are also part-and-parcel of owning one of these cars. I'm not a massive fan of them.

But I'm all about that front spoiler, with the floating Alpina lettering that you can option in silver, high-gloss black or gold.

Inside, there are fewer Alpina additions, but they're nonetheless unmissable. There's the Alpina-badged steering wheel, and a new virtual instrument cluster, embossed headrests and  illuminated door sills.

There's also the little numbered plaque on the centre console which proves its authenticity, ours was number 49. Out of how many? I don't know. But I do know Alpina produces only about 1700 cars globally a year. Rolls Royce does about 4000. So, you can rest assured your B5 is exclusive.

At almost 5m long, 1.9m wide and 1.5m tall, the B5 is a large saloon, but having recently reviewed the Alpina B7 it feels small in comparison. How does it drive? We're getting there.

Not surprisingly, there’s generous room inside this modern limousine. The Flying Spur is one of those cars you’d enjoy being driven in, arguably even more than driving.

But before we talk about the back seat accommodations, let’s start in the driver’s seat.

The front of the cabin is another display of traditional luxury with a blend of modern technology. There is a veritable smorgasbord of premium materials - fine leather, bright metals and genuine wood veneers. 

The steering wheel is thick and wrapped in very nice leather so it feels great, as does the supple hide that covers the soft but supportive seat.

In front of the driver is a digital dashboard but the graphics are traditional round dials for the speedo and tacho, with a central area for other key information, such as the use of the hybrid system.

For the trained eye there are some giveaways that Bentley is part of the Volkswagen Group, the way some of the graphics are presented, some of the switchgear and other small elements - but nothing overt.

Space in the rear is very good, with more-than-adequate head, knee and legroom, but it’s not expansive as you’ll find in an extended-wheelbase vehicle, like its Bentayga SUV sibling.

Still, those in the rear are well looked after, elevating the Flying Spur beyond what you’ll typically find in a ‘luxury car’ - like those from the ‘big three’ German brands.

There are pillow-like headrests, for example, as well as plenty more premium materials and leather-lined surfaces.

But, again, a lot of the items fitted to our test car were cost options, such as the panoramic sunroof, rear window sun blinds and vanity mirrors that flip down from the ceiling.

Boot space is another surprising element of the Flying Spur, because despite the overall size of the car, it measures just 351 litres. For comparison, the Toyota Corolla sedan has a 470-litre boot.

It’s oddly shaped too, with space lost to the wheel arches and other hidden hardware, with even more room given up for the large charging cable bag.

Practicality is not really a BMW strong point no matter which model you pick. See, BMW mostly makes the car equivalent of uber-stylish and skin-tight active wear which looks good and performs brilliantly, but sometimes you just want pockets and a bit of room for your… um… bits and pieces.

So while there are two cup holders up front and two in the back, the bottle holders in the doors aren't huge, the centre console bin is on the small side, there's a hidy-hole in front of the shifter, the glove box is just a box for little more than gloves and there's no other great cabin storage options.

Legroom in the rear is good but not great, too - I'm 191cm tall and have about 30mm between my knees and the seat back in my driving position. Middle-seat passengers will also have to straddle the drive shaft hump in the floor. Headroom is restricted in the back, too (you could blame the sunroof) with my hair just skimming the headlining (I do have big hair).

Under that power tailgate, the B5's boot capacity is 530 litres which is 15L more than its big sister, the B7. There are two plastic storage areas either side of the luggage space for wet things. While there is one USB outlet in the front there aren't any in the rear.

The BMW Alpina B5 lists for $210,000, making it only $10K more the BMW M5 which comes with almost identical features apart from the Alpina engineering to the engine and chassis.

Arriving standard is leather upholstery, four-zone climate control, nav, the Alpina embossed-headrests, a 10.25-inch display, digital radio, Alpina door sills, sunroof, proximity key, power front seats, 12-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, head-up display, Alpina virtual instrument cluster, heated front and rear seats, and the 20-inch Alpina wheels.

The test car I drove had been optioned with a limited-slip differential ($5923), steering-wheel heating ($449); soft-close function for doors ($1150); sunblinds ($1059); TV function ($2065) ambient air package ($575), and front-seat ventilation ($1454).

This is obviously the centrepiece of the Flying Spur Hybrid and under the bonnet you’ll find a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine paired with an electric motor and 18kWh lithium-ion battery.

The petrol engine makes 306kW/550Nm on its own, with the electric motor good for 100kW/400Nm and combined Bentley claims the powertrain produces 400kW/750Nm.

That power is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

Bentley claims the Flying Spur Hybrid is quick, as well as efficient, sprinting from 0-100km/h in just 4.3 seconds, with top speed rated at 285km/h.

The Alpina B5 uses the same 4.4-litre V8 engine found in the BMW M5 (and also the B7). But, and it's a big but, the M5 makes 441kW and 750Nm, while the B5 outdoes it with 447kW and 800Nm. Admittedly, the B5's torque arrives at the 3000rpm mark, while the M5's is all there from 1800rpm.

How does the B5 beat it? Alpina installed its specially developed twin turbochargers and intercoolers, a high-performance cooling system, a reconfigured air intake set up and a different exhaust system.

The B5, though, is a tenth of a second slower to 100km/h compared to the M5 with a time of 3.5 seconds, but it will blast on to a top speed of 330km/h while the M5 is limited to 250km/h in regular form and 305km/h with the optional M Driver's package.

Both uses the same ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with identical gear ratios, and both are all-wheel drive.

Fuel consumption and electric driving range are always tricky to judge with plug-in hybrids. The official testing cycle favours the combination of electric and petrol power resulting in an official combined cycle figure that’s difficult to hit in the real world.

As was the case with the Flying Spur Hybrid, which has claimed figures of 3.3L/100km, but we could only reach 6.5L/100km during our time in the car.

To be fair, less than 7.0L/100km for such a big, heavy and powerful car is still an impressive return, but it’s well short of the claim.

In terms of electric-only range and the energy consumption of the battery, Bentley claims an EV driving range of 40km, which we also found hard to manage during our test drive. 

The claimed energy use of 9.2kWh/100km is optimistic, though, with the car’s computer telling us it was actually 22.3kWh/100km.

Overall, Bentley claims the Flying Spur Hybrid has a maximum driving range of 804km thanks to the combination of electric and petrol power. 

The Alpina B5 needs petrol. By that, I mean it needs quite a lot of it if you want to enjoy it properly. What type of mileage does it get? Officially, it should use 11.1L/100km after a combination of urban and open roads, where as the M5 is set to 10.5L/100km.

That makes sense, the B5 produces more power and torque, and it's 85kg heavier than the M5 at 2015kg.

Our test car's trip computer was reporting 13.2L/100km after flying low over country roads and slow city piloting. The more time spent in the urban warfare that is the daily peak hour commute, the more that figure crept and hovered around the 15L/100km mark.

Climbing aboard and closing the heavy door with a thud, the Flying Spur feels isolated from the outside world before you’ve even turned the powertrain on. It adds that feeling of luxury and refinements that few other cars - and certainly few sedans - can claim these days.

Before you start driving you can select which version of the powertrain you’d like to use, with the ability to switch to all-electric power, a combination of petrol and electric or biased towards petrol to charge the battery.

In hybrid mode the Flying Spur manages which element of the powertrain it uses, typically using the electric motor to get you off the mark and boost performance on the move but allowing the petrol engine to do most of the heavy lifting.

Regardless of the details, it certainly provides the performance you expect from a car like a Bentley. It has the kind of effortless performance that means, despite its size, it never labours or struggles to close a gap or burst forward with urgency.

However, it’s electric mode that seems to fit the nature of the Bentley best - quiet, refined and powerful. Which makes sense.

Electric motors are so well suited to luxury cars that it's no surprise Bentley has committed to going all-electric by the end of the decade.

It’s a shame, then, that the 40km of range runs out quicker than expected and leaves you leaning on the petrol engine again.

Ok, stay with me here. For this next bit you'll need a fresh egg, a lounge chair, and it might be a good idea to have some plastic bags and carpet cleaner on hand.

First, in front of the lounge chair flatten out the plastic bag and place the egg on it. Next, sit down on the chair and very carefully rest the ball of your foot on the egg with as little pressure as humanly possible.

This is exactly how little force you need to apply to the go-pedal of the B5 to accelerate from a standstill to 60km/h in about five seconds.

If anything sums up the driving experience of the B5, it's that sense of effortlessness.

Stomp on that accelerator, and you'll be shot to 100km/h in 3.5 seconds, without a hint of broken traction thanks to the all-wheel-drive system.

The ride should have been terrible on 20-inch wheels shod in low-profile rubber (Pirelli P Zero 255/35 front, and 295/30 rear), but the Alpina-tuned air suspension is close to miraculous in the way it cushioned and censored the potholes out of Sydney's worst roads. Yes, it can be a touch floaty, particularly in the Comfort Plus setting, but this is benchmark-setting stuff for a comfortable ride.

Don't expect this beast to roar. Unlike the M5, the B5 gets its work done without deafening everybody around it. Sure, the B5's V8 sounds amazing when you push it, but it's not brash, not loud and not lairy. Buy an M5 or Mercedes-AMG E63s if you want to be heard half a block before you get home, but you won't get that with the B5 and its exhaust system.

The B5 also handles well, but I have to say the engagement factor is low. I piloted it effortlessly through the twists and turns of my country test circuit and roads which normally have me grinning like a maniac behind the wheel had me feeling a bit disconnected in the B5. That air suspension, the numb steering and pedal actions make it difficult to ‘feel' the road.

It's highways where the B5 is a king, but even at 110km/h there's the sense that this car is still fast asleep and won't get out of bed for anything less than 150km/h - making it perfect for Germany's autobahns, but maybe not for here in Australia.

The Alpina B5 is based on the BMW 5 Series which had a five-star ANCAP rating awarded to it in 2017.

Along with the comprehensive suite of airbags, traction and stability control, there's an impressive array of advanced safety equipment. Coming standard is AEB (front and rear), evasive steering, front and rear cross-traffic warning, blind-spot alert and lane-keep assist. The Alpina B5 also comes with BMW's emergency call function.

For child seats you'll find two ISOFIX mounts and three top tether points across the rear row.

safety

If you're unfortunate enough to get a flat tyre, there's a puncture repair kit in the boot which works provided the hole isn't giant, as I've experience in the past with these systems.

Another surprising element of the Bentley ownership experience is the relatively short warranty, at least by modern standards.

Like every other model in the range, it’s only covered for three years (but unlimited kilometres), which is short of the five years most other brands offer, and curious given the high standard to which these cars are built. 

However, the Flying Spur Hybrid is covered by a five-year servicing plan - with 12 months/16,000km intervals - which is included in the cost of the car.

Befitting Bentley’s status as a premium brand, the local dealer will arrange to collect and return the car when servicing is required, and a loan car can be arranged if required so the owner isn’t inconvenienced.

The Alpina B5 is covered by BMW's three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 15,000km.