Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
The BMW Alpina B7 BiTurbo isn't the answer to any rational question, but it's the kind of car that you can't really get mad at like you would in front of an exorbitantly priced tuned-up limousine.
That's mainly because the Alpina B7 BiTurbo is neither too expensive, nor visually FUBARed like other cars that found themselves in its position. In fact, if anything, the Alpina version of the BMW 7 Series looks even more elegant than the series model, while also making sure its knack for sporty driving gets the signal across.
The secret behind this toned-down appearance lies with the company's philosophy of form following function, even though that's not necessarily true. A correct description of the way Alpina approaches design is that everything has to serve a purpose, and only when the functional matters have been dealt with can it be bothered with the aesthetics.
Considering this hierarchy, it's surprising how beautiful Alpina's products look. Of course, the BMW designers have their merit, but it feels like Alpina is there to provide the final polish, making the already beautiful cars look even more stunning. It's like these minor touches were the only things missing, and Alpina was the only one to notice them and correct the situation.
The interior went through a similarly discreet enhancement with a softer leather with blue and green stitching wrapping the steering wheel, various wood veneers used for the inserts scattered around the cabin, door sills with blue illumination (maybe the only questionable aspect), and a large selection of luxury leather options.
The car came just a few days ahead of BMW's 600 hp 7 Series model named M760Li that manages similar power figures, only it uses a bigger V12 engine. The B7 BiTurbo has a 4.4-liter V8 unit that delivers its whole load of 608 hp between 5,750 and 6,250 rpm, offering enough power to launch the large limousine to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.7 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 310 km/h (192 mph).
We said in the beginning that the BMW Alpina B7 BiTurbo wasn't all that expensive. The prices start at €121,008 ($131,531) for the rear-wheel-drive version and €123,782 ($134,639) for the xDrive al-wheel-drive model, so you can judge for yourself.
The secret behind this toned-down appearance lies with the company's philosophy of form following function, even though that's not necessarily true. A correct description of the way Alpina approaches design is that everything has to serve a purpose, and only when the functional matters have been dealt with can it be bothered with the aesthetics.
Considering this hierarchy, it's surprising how beautiful Alpina's products look. Of course, the BMW designers have their merit, but it feels like Alpina is there to provide the final polish, making the already beautiful cars look even more stunning. It's like these minor touches were the only things missing, and Alpina was the only one to notice them and correct the situation.
The interior went through a similarly discreet enhancement with a softer leather with blue and green stitching wrapping the steering wheel, various wood veneers used for the inserts scattered around the cabin, door sills with blue illumination (maybe the only questionable aspect), and a large selection of luxury leather options.
The car came just a few days ahead of BMW's 600 hp 7 Series model named M760Li that manages similar power figures, only it uses a bigger V12 engine. The B7 BiTurbo has a 4.4-liter V8 unit that delivers its whole load of 608 hp between 5,750 and 6,250 rpm, offering enough power to launch the large limousine to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.7 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 310 km/h (192 mph).
We said in the beginning that the BMW Alpina B7 BiTurbo wasn't all that expensive. The prices start at €121,008 ($131,531) for the rear-wheel-drive version and €123,782 ($134,639) for the xDrive al-wheel-drive model, so you can judge for yourself.
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