The folks at
Autoblog had the opportunity to get their hands on the
BMW Alpina B7, and they apparently had a blast. Not only would they let it run against an E92 M3 to find out the M3 "can't lose the Alpina B7 on one long road to nowhere deep in the reaches of an unincorporated area of the California coastal mountains." They also refer to the Alpina B7 as "an amazing machine. Defying all logic, the sedan seems to shed pounds as the g-forces increase – the uncanny feedback from the driver's seat is of a sports car wrapped in a lightweight paper-mâché 7 Series disguise. In a word: fun."
Just like the
Alpina B5, Alpina makes use of BMW's N63 4.4l V8 engine found in the 750i and tweaks it heavily using -- among other things -- larger turbo chargers, high-performance pistons, reinforced cylinder heads, and an increased intercooler. All this makes for 100hp and 66 lb-ft more, or
500hp and
516 lb-ft in total. Mated with the 6-speed Alpina Switchtronic, Autoblog clocked
4.32 seconds for the classic
0-60 mph sprint.
Interested to get one now? Just decide whether to go with the RWD or xDrive version, whether to have it in short-wheelbase or long-wheelbase, pick your options, and be prepared to pay a
base price of $122,000. Here's a piece of advice though: I'm fairly sure there are roads out there the Alpina B7 wouldn't be able to hang with the E92 M3 on, so better not base your purchase on this very point of Autoblog's review.
Visit
Autoblog.com for the full review and more photos.