The Return of the B7
Alpina is no stranger in turning the BMW 7 Series into an absolute Autobahn stormer. It all started with the B11 3.5 from the E32 generation, along with the B11 4.0 and B12 5.0 V12 from the same era. Then there was the B12 5.7 and B12 6.0, both based on the much-loved E38 7 Series.
Alpina adopted the B7 name officially by the E65 7 Series era, and has stuck with it ever since. It’s been away for a couple of years now, and the company hasn’t laid its hands on the current-gen 7 Series just yet. Then, in a surprising move, BMW moved in to make Alpina part of its group. From there, the company promised that its first car will be a new full-sized high-performance sedan based on BMW’s flagship.
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A First Look
More recently, Alpina has taken its first new model in years around the Nardo Ring for high-speed testing. The company also took a couple of pictures along the way, giving us a glimpse of what to expect. It probably won’t surprise a lot of people, though, as it looks very much like a 7 Series.
For those expecting it to look a little bit more like the stunning Vision BMW Alpina concept that was shown a couple of months ago, we’re sorry to disappoint. Still, the facelift of the large sedan has done it wonders, and we reckon some unique Alpina bits will make it look even better. So, the camoflaged car is unmistakably a 7 Series, but the wrap couldn’t hide the signature multi-spoke wheels that Alpina has had for decades, and we also see a glimpse of its Alpina Green paintwork and the four oval exhaust pipes.
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The Important Bit
We already have a general idea of what it’ll look like, but the more important matter here is the engine. Alpina says it has a V8, and it’s likely to be the familiar 4.4-liter twin-turbo unit that has powered many BMW products over the years. From our understanding, it’s not aided by any electrification bits, so there’s a good chance that it’ll be a pure combustion affair.
Of course, the engine has been tuned, and at the very least, it needs to make a little bit more power over the M760. For reference, that car makes 563 hp and 553 lb-ft, so the bar is set pretty high for the Alpina. However, BMWBlog noted a little easter egg in Alpina’s teaser video. There, figures of 439 kW and 784 Nm were shown, and convert that to imperial figures, that’s 589 hp and 578 lb-ft. The publication noted that it may not be the final figure just yet, and output could actually be even higher.
Whatever the final number will be, there will be high expectations. But if there’s anyone questioning the car’s ground covering abilities, Alpina managed to max the car out beyond 186 mph (300 km/h). Speed, not Sport, says Alpina, and this potentially could be a 200 mph leather-lined boardroom on wheels.
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About the author
Anton Andres
News Editor