Alpina B7 or M760 (2016-2019)

[cmobe]

Thank you all for your feedback, it has been very helpful!!! I agree that both are beautiful top notch luxury/sport sedans and whichever is chosen would be a great choice.

Most of what I've found on either has been nappa leather instead of merino. I'm more concerned about it having a B&W than the leather used.

Are there any significant differences between the G12 engines before and after the facelift? I know they improved from the F01/02/03, but I'm not sure how much better it got after the face-lift pre G70.

[ProjektAutoScott]

N63TU3: LCI G12 V8
https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/at...5&d=1591143909

N74TU2: LCI G12 V12
https://revisiedata.nl/.cm4all/uproc...dp=a&cm_odfile


There are many sections in both PDFs that outline features and functions that are upgrades, or carryovers from prior engines.

As far as the leather goes, I can't say merino leather feels substantially more luxurious than Nappa. I've always loved the nappa in any car. What does make-or-break for me, is the leather extensions that often are only found on the merino cars. The lower half of the interior being leather wrapped is a big deal to me.

[cmobe]

Originally Posted by ProjektAutoScott

N63TU3: LCI G12 V8
https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/at...5&d=1591143909

N74TU2: LCI G12 V12
https://revisiedata.nl/.cm4all/uproc...dp=a&cm_odfile


There are many sections in both PDFs that outline features and functions that are upgrades, or carryovers from prior engines.

As far as the leather goes, I can't say merino leather feels substantially more luxurious than Nappa. I've always loved the nappa in any car. What does make-or-break for me, is the leather extensions that often are only found on the merino cars. The lower half of the interior being leather wrapped is a big deal to me.

I can understand that...and thank you!!!
I'm trying to avoid as many issues as possible...even though I'm going to get a warranty regardless.

[jokerswld34]

Honestly you should drive both to feel the differences for yourself. Might be hard to do as both cars are fairly hard to find but you’ll know right away which one you prefer. I test drove an LCI B7 right after the pre LCI M760 and bought the M760 as soon as I finished the B7 test drive.

Lots of great feedback from others here and spot on to my personal experiences with both vehicles.

[BMW5and7]

I carefully read this thread word by word in August and September when I was shopping for my next sedan.

I usually buy a 70-100K car every year or 2 years, and then I trade in again.

Feels like I will keep waiting for the M760 until they longer exist. I really would want to have one.

In September, I ended up buy a Tesla Model S. I love it so much; no regrets, AWESOME CAR and I still love it….. However at some point I really want to experience M760. I just could not find one with the right spec’s and options : (

[Derived]

Seems to be getting harder and harder to find "good" M760s, I think they've all found long-term homes at least for now. I'm never selling mine...

[BMW5and7]

Originally Posted by Derived

Seems to be getting harder and harder to find "good" M760s, I think they've all found long-term homes at least for now. I'm never selling mine...

There are many good and very good ones, easy to find one, but what am looking for is one with ALL boxes checked, meaning every single factory option which gets to 177K MSRP. THIS IS THE ONE that’s really hard to find. Other ones in the 150-168K MSRP are easily available if one is willing to travel out of his home state.

[chad86tsi]

Originally Posted by BMW5and7

There are many good and very good ones, easy to find one, but what am looking for is one with ALL boxes checked, meaning every single factory option which gets to 177K MSRP. THIS IS THE ONE that’s really hard to find. Other ones in the 150-168K MSRP are easily available if one is willing to travel out of his home state.

^. This

Took me 5 months to find my options holy grail car with 181k MSRP. Most were missing something significant, and many well under $175k in options.

I’m keeping mine for a decade at least. Got it as a lease return so bought low miles for “ half price”. Not as many ‘21 and ‘22s were made so it will be hard to find good ones going forward, and they seemed to be even less well optioned on average.

[Derived]

Originally Posted by BMW5and7

There are many good and very good ones, easy to find one, but what am looking for is one with ALL boxes checked, meaning every single factory option which gets to 177K MSRP. THIS IS THE ONE that’s really hard to find. Other ones in the 150-168K MSRP are easily available if one is willing to travel out of his home state.

That's what I mean by "good" - there are always seemingly a bunch available with minimal options and in boring colors, I wanted one with every option (or close to it) and unusual individual colors inside & out. Was lucky enough to find one practically down the road from me at the time, but you don't see many like that now.

[absolutezero273c]

This is a great discussion. I've been actively researching this topic to make my own decision. And I was almost sold on an Alpina B7 until the topic of the N74 reliability was brought up.

I'm sort of coming at it full circle I guess. 10 years ago I decided on a 2001 750iL simply because it had every option I would want/need and, more importantly, would have the more reliable M73. I've not regretted my decision once. But as I come up on 10 years of ownership, using it as my summer daily driver, I find parts availability has increased my concern of driving it regularly. I can't enjoyably drive something I worry about finding parts for on a regular basis. Even though I only have 113K miles on it. So after I complete a few repairs I plan to sell it and will be replacing it with either one of the vehicles that are the topic of discussion here.

I'm basically trying to replace my E38 with a 'newer' version that is just as enjoyable to drive. I know the E38 got accolades for being a luxury drivers car. So I want to find the best F02/G12 that is just as enjoyable to drive as the E38. I will say, after reading all the reviews I could find, it appears I will be disappointed. But it seems the B7 is going to be the closest suspension tuned for driving pleasure that I will be able to find in a newer 7. It is for that reason my mind was almost made up. And I've almost succumbed to the fact that in order to enjoy my driving experience, with out worry, I will have to remove the engine of any B7 I purchase to preemptively address any of these known issues in advance.

One last note, that probably not a lot of people addressing these two vehicles are concerned with, is MPG. My 2001 750iL is rated at 12 city and 18 highway. It appears the M760i is pretty spot on with that same mpg. And for that reason the B7 come with a welcomed increase to 18 city and 24 highway. Additional fuel cost not a huge deal if you are trying to weigh the cost of virtually rebuilding an N63 vs the added fuel consumption of the N74. But a welcomed bonus just the same.

I know it is not a concern for most here but I will say that I began this search for my E38 replacement by thinking I could find an F02 740Ld xDrive and have the best of both worlds. Great fuel economy and a great highway cruiser. But having only one model year of availability in North America it would be impossible to find one that has all the options I want/need. And, again. That is the same time I realized I want the best driving experience I can get and have been focused on the B7. But perhaps I need to first drive a B7 & M760i to compare myself rather than rely on everyone else's shared experience.

Incidentally I'll be selling my winter daily driver, too, my 2005 E53 4.8is, so I can condense 2 older vehicles down to one newer more reliable vehicle. So xDrive will be welcomed.

[absolutezero273c]

BTW, not so sure parts availability from Alpina will be an issue moving forward. It appears they have been acquired by BMW, in 2022, with the deal set to come to fruition in 2025.
https://www.newsweek.com/bmws-latest...ection-1687317

[chad86tsi]

Originally Posted by absolutezero273c

This is a great discussion. I've been actively researching this topic to make my own decision. And I was almost sold on an Alpina B7 until the topic of the N74 reliability was brought up.

I'm sort of coming at it full circle I guess. 10 years ago I decided on a 2001 750iL simply because it had every option I would want/need and, more importantly, would have the more reliable M73. I've not regretted my decision once. But as I come up on 10 years of ownership, using it as my summer daily driver, I find parts availability has increased my concern of driving it regularly. I can't enjoyably drive something I worry about finding parts for on a regular basis. Even though I only have 113K miles on it. So after I complete a few repairs I plan to sell it and will be replacing it with either one of the vehicles that are the topic of discussion here.

I'm basically trying to replace my E38 with a 'newer' version that is just as enjoyable to drive. I know the E38 got accolades for being a luxury drivers car. So I want to find the best F02/G12 that is just as enjoyable to drive as the E38. I will say, after reading all the reviews I could find, it appears I will be disappointed. But it seems the B7 is going to be the closest suspension tuned for driving pleasure that I will be able to find in a newer 7. It is for that reason my mind was almost made up. And I've almost succumbed to the fact that in order to enjoy my driving experience, with out worry, I will have to remove the engine of any B7 I purchase to preemptively address any of these known issues in advance.

One last note, that probably not a lot of people addressing these two vehicles are concerned with, is MPG. My 2001 750iL is rated at 12 city and 18 highway. It appears the M760i is pretty spot on with that same mpg. And for that reason the B7 come with a welcomed increase to 18 city and 24 highway. Additional fuel cost not a huge deal if you are trying to weigh the cost of virtually rebuilding an N63 vs the added fuel consumption of the N74. But a welcomed bonus just the same.

I know it is not a concern for most here but I will say that I began this search for my E38 replacement by thinking I could find an F02 740Ld xDrive and have the best of both worlds. Great fuel economy and a great highway cruiser. But having only one model year of availability in North America it would be impossible to find one that has all the options I want/need. And, again. That is the same time I realized I want the best driving experience I can get and have been focused on the B7. But perhaps I need to first drive a B7 & M760i to compare myself rather than rely on everyone else's shared experience.

Incidentally I'll be selling my winter daily driver, too, my 2005 E53 4.8is, so I can condense 2 older vehicles down to one newer more reliable vehicle. So xDrive will be welcomed.

I consistently get 21 or 22 on highway at 70+ MPH on the V12, and 14ish in the city. I one got just over 24 on a long ride to the coast where I was 50-60 the whole way. I also once had to get 87octain, I was in the middle of nowhere and it’s all they had, didn’t even notice. My last car was a high strung V8, you really noticed in that car. The v12 only runs 11 pounds of boost.

[m760iM5]

New here. I have a 2017 G12 V12. I like the Alpina, but I like my V12 better. I saw a comment about the Alpina's being pricier on the used market and that is very true. I believe that it has a lot to do with the Alpina being rarer. However and based on my experience, it's probably because of the maintenance on the M760i. So far I have had a lot of cooling issues. The engine runs very hot and gets up to temperature in about a minute. I don't mean 1/4 on the thermo, I mean 1/2, right at the middle top. I never worried about it until I had a bunch of cooling tubes that needed to be replaced and then the entire radiator. Stay away from the dealership and make sure that you have an independent shop around. I use Bullet Performance in Costa Mesa, CA. I use them for my M5 and my M3 in the past. Otherwise, the V12 is superior in my opinion.

The looks are subjective and I could go either way, but the effortless power deliver in the 6.6 is king. I can drive to Vegas and back under 2k RPM the whole way and not even notice.

I like the M760i in preface lift and the Alpina in 2020-2022. Weird huh?

I'm going to look around this site, but any helpful tips on wheels (20") for this platform? I'm looking for 11 in the back with 305's and 9.5 in the front with 265 or 275. I have the standard 468M wheels in black and they look amazing, but I want a wider rim for the looks. No performance necessary here, this is my cruiser/wife's ride, but I like the wide rim look.

[chad86tsi]

Originally Posted by m760iM5

New here. I have a 2017 G12 V12. I like the Alpina, but I like my V12 better. I saw a comment about the Alpina's being pricier on the used market and that is very true. I believe that it has a lot to do with the Alpina being rarer. However and based on my experience, it's probably because of the maintenance on the M760i. So far I have had a lot of cooling issues. The engine runs very hot and gets up to temperature in about a minute. I don't mean 1/4 on the thermo, I mean 1/2, right at the middle top. I never worried about it until I had a bunch of cooling tubes that needed to be replaced and then the entire radiator. Stay away from the dealership and make sure that you have an independent shop around. I use Bullet Performance in Costa Mesa, CA. I use them for my M5 and my M3 in the past. Otherwise, the V12 is superior in my opinion.

The looks are subjective and I could go either way, but the effortless power deliver in the 6.6 is king. I can drive to Vegas and back under 2k RPM the whole way and not even notice.

I like the M760i in preface lift and the Alpina in 2020-2022. Weird huh?

I'm going to look around this site, but any helpful tips on wheels (20") for this platform? I'm looking for 11 in the back with 305's and 9.5 in the front with 265 or 275. I have the standard 468M wheels in black and they look amazing, but I want a wider rim for the looks. No performance necessary here, this is my cruiser/wife's ride, but I like the wide rim look.

Thanks for your input. I've noticed the V12 gets up to temp faster than any car I've ever owned. I'm in a mild climate and I do my own work on all cars, but it's good to know what to watch for. Never seen it go over half way on temp, but it gets there quick. Kind of nice on a cold day. I've heard all of the early G12's are prone to grill shutter failure (all models), and that there was an extended warranty (8 years?) on some date ranges for those shutters. I've had zero problems so far with any of the systems on the car (late 2019), and I'm just approaching 39K miles.

[m760iM5]

I have 91k miles on mine. Every issue that has come up, I have taken care of and it's not cheap, but worth it. I have a warranty plan that covers a bit, but not all and a oil change package. I did the radiator, coolant tubes and rear brakes recently.

I'm in southern Cal, so it gets hot here and the combo with this heat producing engine will suck the life out of the car, so I keep a close eye on it. I bought it for my wife and she doesn't know how to drive fast, so she'll preserve it for me.

I will need to look into the grill shutter failure, I haven't noticed the issue. By the way, I love the cerium grey all around. I have Carbon Black with Black 648M wheels.

I could talk about this car all day long.

Eric

[absolutezero273c]

Originally Posted by chad86tsi

I consistently get 21 or 22 on highway at 70+ MPH on the V12, and 14ish in the city. I one got just over 24 on a long ride to the coast where I was 50-60 the whole way. I also once had to get 87octain, I was in the middle of nowhere and it’s all they had, didn’t even notice. My last car was a high strung V8, you really noticed in that car. The v12 only runs 11 pounds of boost.

Thanks for sharing Chad86tsi. That sounds pretty consistent with what I experience with my M73. 19-20 mpg my last trip at 90-100. But normally 21 is where I sit above 65. And 22-23 easy between 50-60.