BMW Alpina B7 xDrive

2017 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive

by: car and driver 

http://www.caranddriver.com/

Fast enough was supposed to be 193 mph: That was the top-speed forecast offered when the 2017 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive was launched at the 2016 Geneva auto show. That impressive number has since been revised. During testing on the 7.8-mile circular track in Nardò, Italy, the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires worked so well that Alpina decided to raise the terminal velocity to a robust 205 mph. That puts the top-of-the-line Alpina-tuned Bimmer comfortably ahead of the competition from Mercedes-AMG, Bentley, and Porsche.

Starting at $137,995, the Alpina B7 stands at the top of the 7-series lineup, at leastuntil BMW’s own M760i appears. But the Alpina offers a distinctly different character: The M760i will be powered by an updated version of BMW's twin-turbocharged V-12, while the B7 employs a twin-turbo V-8, based on the 750i's 4.4-liter N63 eight-cylinder. Alpina’s designation for its version of the engine, confusingly, is M3; the car’s name contains the suffix Biturbo in other markets. Alpina—closely allied with Munich but still independent—makes extensive modifications that include upgraded turbochargers, its own intake and intercooler setup, special Mahle pistons, an Alpina dual-mode exhaust, and up to 20 psi of boost, lifting maximum output from 445 to 600 horsepower. Peak torque is rated at 590 lb-ft and available on a plateau that stretches from 3000 to 5000 rpm. Funny coincidence there: The M760i also will be rated at 600 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, but it will come with a 155-mph governor (optionally increased to 190 mph, just enough to top the Mercedes-AMG S63’s 186-mph governor). Alpina says the B7 accelerates to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, which may be as conservative as the original top-speed forecast; a 2013 Alpina B7 we tested with a mere 560 horsepower ran to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, and we expect the new model to be about 200 pounds lighter.