Photo: Alpina
Following the mid-cycle refresh of the 7 Series, Alpina took over from BMW to deliver an ever better full-size luxury sedan. Enter the B7 xDrive, producing 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque from 4.4 liters of displacement, eight cylinders, and a couple of turbochargers.
Even though it’s heavier than two tons, the B7 xDrive can thrust to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, accelerating until the speedometer indicates 205 mph. For reference, not even the Ferrari F40 or Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat are capable of hitting that speed. But these numbers don’t tell the whole story.
Alpina worked its magic on the chassis too, adding the Sport+ package that lowers the vehicle by 0.6 inches. This change doesn’t necessarily translate to better fuel economy thanks to superior aerodynamics, but improved handling coming courtesy of the lower center of gravity.
Scheduled to launch in the United States in the third quarter of 2019 for the 2020 model year, the cheapest example of the breed is $141,700 plus $995 for freight. The third generation of the stateside-bound B7 features a 54-millimeter impeller on the exhaust side of the turbochargers. The Alpina intercoolers come with an interconnection that equalizes pulsations between the two cylinder banks of the V8.
Add to those a performance-calibrated ECU, and maximum torque is delivered from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm compared to 3,000 and 5,000 rpm. The lower the torque peaks, the harder the B7 accelerates and the better the throttle responds to the driver’s right-foot input.
Larger intercoolers, external water coolers, a transmission oil cooler, and the 8HP76 automatic transmission from ZF with Alpina-specific software are also featured. Closer gear ratios and a total spread of 7.81:1 translate to “high levels of shift comfort and efficiency.”
In addition to the software, the transmission has strengthened components such as the lock-up clutch and planetary gear sets. Rounding things off is the stainless-steel exhaust system with four exits and active valves, featuring two sound settings (Comfort Mode and Sport Mode).
Bringing the point home, the souped-up luxobarge also comes with Integral Active Steering and Active Roll Stabilization. At speeds of under 20 mph, the ride height can be raised by 0.8 inches to negotiate speed bumps.
Alpina worked its magic on the chassis too, adding the Sport+ package that lowers the vehicle by 0.6 inches. This change doesn’t necessarily translate to better fuel economy thanks to superior aerodynamics, but improved handling coming courtesy of the lower center of gravity.
Scheduled to launch in the United States in the third quarter of 2019 for the 2020 model year, the cheapest example of the breed is $141,700 plus $995 for freight. The third generation of the stateside-bound B7 features a 54-millimeter impeller on the exhaust side of the turbochargers. The Alpina intercoolers come with an interconnection that equalizes pulsations between the two cylinder banks of the V8.
Add to those a performance-calibrated ECU, and maximum torque is delivered from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm compared to 3,000 and 5,000 rpm. The lower the torque peaks, the harder the B7 accelerates and the better the throttle responds to the driver’s right-foot input.
Larger intercoolers, external water coolers, a transmission oil cooler, and the 8HP76 automatic transmission from ZF with Alpina-specific software are also featured. Closer gear ratios and a total spread of 7.81:1 translate to “high levels of shift comfort and efficiency.”
In addition to the software, the transmission has strengthened components such as the lock-up clutch and planetary gear sets. Rounding things off is the stainless-steel exhaust system with four exits and active valves, featuring two sound settings (Comfort Mode and Sport Mode).
Bringing the point home, the souped-up luxobarge also comes with Integral Active Steering and Active Roll Stabilization. At speeds of under 20 mph, the ride height can be raised by 0.8 inches to negotiate speed bumps.
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