Say hello to the Bovensiepen 05 GT – the second car from the family-run company formerly known as Alpina, after the limited-run Zagato, and a direct appeal to the heartland of its former incarnation.
As revealed in our extensive article here, BMW has licensed the Alpina name and is pushing the name further upmarket, starting with what’s believed to be 7 Series-based car following the Vision Alpina concept car at Villa d’Este earlier this year. While BMW hasn’t ruled out a return to the 3 Series and 5 Series in future, it leaves the Bovensiepen family to pursue those model lines, and the traditional ‘Old Alpina’ heartland.
So what is the 05 GT? The 05 GT has been developed around what Bovensiepen calls its ‘Fine Driving’ philosophy, combining exterior and interior design work, powertrain changes, chassis development and hand-finished manufacture at the company’s facility in Buchloe, Bavaria using the hybrid M5 as its basis. As such, it uses BMW’s M Hybrid drivetrain, combining a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed M Steptronic automatic gearbox.
Bovensiepen says the car has been designed as a Gran Turismo, with an emphasis on a powerful powertrain, precise handling and long-distance comfort. “Following the Bovensiepen Zagato, the Bovensiepen 05 GT also embodies timeless and elegant design from every angle; we work with top designers in the industry,” says Andreas Bovensiepen, the firm’s managing director.
The design is a marked departure from the donor car, the BMW M5. Frank Stephenson, founder of frankstephenson design, said: “The most successful bespoke automotive projects are rarely about noise, they are about judgement. This car shows how careful, intelligent exterior design can transform the character of a car without losing the integrity of what made it appealing in the first place. It is subtle, yes, but also confident, beautifully resolved and entirely in keeping with the type of design future many discerning clients are now looking for.”
“Together with Stephenson’s team, we have undergone an exceptionally intensive development process – from sketches to working directly with the designers on the vehicle in Buchloe. Only there the subtle nuances in proportion, surface and lines can truly be discovered – and even felt. Our high standards for technological precision and hand-crafted finesse become tangible precisely in such development processes; they shape the character of the Bovensiepen 05 GT,” says Andreas Bovensiepen.
The main design changes are found in the front and rear bumpers, lower grille, side skirts, rear spoiler and wheel package. At the front, the previous intake layout has been replaced by a wider and simpler arrangement, giving the nose a broader appearance. A deeper splitter has also been added, while the larger wheels and wider-set detailing are intended to make the car look lower and more substantial.
The side profile has been revised with the addition of an air duct ahead of the rear wheel. This links the sill area with the wider rear arches and helps break up the bodyside surfacing. A black visual element runs through the design, starting at the front, continuing into the side treatment and carrying through to the rear. The rear bumper has been simplified, with the reflectors and parking sensors incorporated into a dark horizontal panel. The exhaust outlets have also been moved further outboard, increasing the visual width of the car from behind.
Euan McPherson, design team lead at frankstephenson design, said: “The aim was to create something that has an immediate presence, without being too loud or aggressive. We wanted to establish a clear identity for the car that is refined, clean and balanced, emphasising its proportions with strong graphic elements. It was about doing just enough in the right places to make the whole car feel lower, wider and more resolved.”
The powertrain changes include an optimised fresh-air intake with a special intake funnel, plus a titanium Akrapovič exhaust system that saves 7.8kg. Bovensiepen says these changes enable revised engine software, validated through summer and winter testing, as well as high-speed testing at Papenburg and Nardò. The result is a system output of 790hp; as a result the 05 GT produces 811lb ft of torque, with a quoted top speed of 190mph and a 0-62mph time of less than 3.6 seconds with a weight of 2555kg, 5kg more than an M5 Touring. The electrical system has been left alone, and delivering up to 195bhp and around 35 miles of real-world electric range.
The 05 GT uses 21-inch forged wheels on all four corners, and feature 20 milled spokes arranged as ten elongated double spokes. A newly developed satin aluminium finish is available as standard, while the wheel colour and the Bovensiepen-branded brake calipers can be specified in various finishes to match the exterior paint and lower design line.
Bovensiepen has also worked with Pirelli on model-specific tyres, while the chassis specification includes modified support bearings, Eibach springs and a special strut-tower brace. Bovensiepen says the set-up has been developed to combine more precise handling with ride comfort for both front and rear occupants by re-tuning the M Adaptive dampers.
Inside, each 05 GT carries a numbered production plate. Standard equipment includes a hand-crafted Lavalina leather steering wheel with milled-aluminium shift paddles. Bovensiepen says the seat panels, along with the surrounds for the cupholder unit and iDrive controller, are also leather covered as standard, with contrast-colour options available.The seatback trims can be painted in a customer-specified colour at no extra cost, while the insert itself is in leather and carries the 05 GT model designation.
Bovensiepen will offer full-leather interiors using Lavalina leather – barrel-dyed cowhide, with raw material sourced from selected farms in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and northern Italy. Customers can choose colours for the leather and thread, along with the extent of leather covering.The company also says its in-house upholstery department can handle further special requests, including Alcantara luggage-compartment trim, personalised headrest embossing and custom embroidery.
First customer deliveries are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026. The recommended retail price is €198,900 including 19 percent German VAT, via the Buchloe factory. Just 100 are to be built annually at Buchloe, all of them Tourings for the foreseeable future. Look out for more Magneto Bovensiepen content soon, including a test drive of the Zagato.
In the meantime, more details on the Bovensiepen 05 GT can be found here.
