With the 2012 BMW M5 still a ways off, Alpina it taking the opportunity to start testing a more powerful version of the new 5 Series on its own. This image was caught testing in Germany recently and sports a few obvious changes from the standard model.

The quad exhaust tips out back are a dead giveaway to this car's modified status. You can also see an extended deck spoiler like the larger B7 along with slightly more aggressive front and rear fascias.

Now that the 5 Series is already blessed with a V8 and twin turbochargers, Alpina probably won't have to do much in the way of greater displacement. Depending on how much power Alpina is shooting for, the B5 could simply get more boost and an ECU reprogram. Expect to see an official debut this fall.