2007 BMW B7 Review

Specifications

It’s a strange but true fact: did you know that almost all European premiumluxury brands offer high-performance versions of their full-size flagship sedans? While the Americans and the Japanese call it a day after creating a perfectly smooth ride, refined amenities and some of the most advanced technologies going, the Europeans like to go out after a hard day’s work and burn rubber before hitting the bends in their long-wheelbase, six-figure sedans. Some brands have more than one sport model, like supercharged Type-R Jaguars, for instance, and how could we forget Mercedes-Benz’s awe-inspiring AMGs. Even the sportiest luxury sedan on the market, the Maserati Quattroporte, has a trim package that further stiffens the ride, improves the responsiveness of the Cambiocorsa sequential gearbox and enhances overall performance. Heck, now that we’re talking expensive, even the big rollers like Bentley and Maybach have sports versions of their products. The Continental Flying Spur can be had with the fancy-sounding Mulliner Driving Specification, or if you’d like something even more exclusive the Arnage can be designated with a T, while Maybach’s absurdly opulent 62 limousine can be had with an S that’s got even more power from its twin-turbocharged AMG-tuned V12 engine.

This brings us neatly to BMW, which despite having the tag-line “The Ultimate Driving Experience” is the only premium brand that does not have a high-performance version of its range-topping sedan. The 7-Series is a fantastic car, and is usually the driver’s choice amongst Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar. Though there’s a “Sport” package that adds a sport-tuned suspension setup and 20-inch wheels, there are no improvements available in terms of powerplant, gearbox, etc. Powertrain choices are limited to the “base” 4.8-liter V8 in the 750 series, and the 760, with its 6.0-liter V12, both driving through a six-speed column-shift automatic. Surely, at some point in time BMW’s engineers tossed around the idea of an M7, but as far as we know nothing official has ever resulted, not even a distinctive sport variant like BMW did with the previous-generation X5 4.8is.

The lack of an official sport-tuned 7-Series hasn’tstopped buyers from getting their hands on versions with a little more gusto, however. Several BMW tuners have cooked up their own versions, including Hartge, Dinan and Digi-Tec, all of which have added their own magical touches, not to mention superchargers and turbochargers. But the brand that’s got some serious knowledge in tuning 7s is Alpina, and after all they’ve been tweaking them for the past twenty years. Alpina’s expertise in BMW tuning and engineering has given the firm an edge in its ability to produce performance versions of nearly every BMW made in the past, including, in more modern times, diesel-powered tuner models, not to mention the limited-run Z8 roadster that was actually sanctioned by BMW and sold through their dealers. As Alpina is an aftermarket tuner, it’s also capable of turning out performance versions sooner the official “M” model comes out. It’s also important not to overlook history. Alpina was established in 1964, making it one of the oldest BMW tuners around. This is why, just like it did with the Alpina-tuned Z8, BMW is bringing Alpina’s latest creation, the B7 performance luxury sedan, on board as an official product (including warranty and dealership repair).

Though it has the most horsepower available in any 7-Series, the B7’s engine isactually the smallest in displacement. Rather than start out with the 4.8-liter V8, Alpina chose to use the tried, tested and true 4.4-liter V8; yes the same as used in the pre-facelift 745i. It integrates all of the usual BMW technologies like Double VANOS for power and the Valvetronic throttle-less intake system, but it has a Nautilus-type supercharger bolted on as well. The result is spectacular: 500 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, and the ability to accelerate to 60 mph in a hardly believable 4.8 seconds – a time equal to that of the current BMW M3. Without a speed limiter, it’ll hit 186 mph. It just about displaces every large high-performance luxury sedan on the market with the exception of the Bentley Continental Flying Spur and that pesky, 604-horsepower Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG. Mind you, both of those cars have engines that are six liters in displacement and have not one, but two turbochargers. What’s more, they cost a considerable amount more.

This small and mighty engine is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission, which, likethe regular 7-Series uses a column-mounted shifter. Though the gearbox itself is the stock ZF six-speeder, Alpina added their own touch by giving the car its Switch-Tronic system (a computer program) which offers up the factory setting, a Sport mode for a more aggressive shift and a manual mode which is operated by tugging on the buttons mounted on the back of the stitched three-spoke sports steering wheel. Big, colorful plus and minus signs indicate which side to pull for upshifts and downshifts, as with Mercedes-Benz paddle-like shifters.

So we know that the B7 has breathtaking power, but it’s important for a sedan like this to take care of its occupants, who generally like things nice and quiet. On the comfort side, plush leather seats coddle and support passengers, while the sport exhaust and supercharger were tuned not to be overly intrusive, while the Active Roll Stabilization in the sport-tuned suspension system keeps things on the level. All the usual luxury features that are available on the regular 7-Series are available with the B7 too, including Comfort Access keyless ignition, navigation, adaptive radar cruise control, and even night vision, which displays the road ahead on the iDrive screen. Alpina also fitted new sports instrumentsto the B7 which are bright orange on a dark blue display.

Like all Alpina products, the B7 has a certain look. It’s fitted from the factory with a tasteful body kit and a trunk-mounted spoiler; the two work together to reduce drag and provide downforce at high speeds. What’s more, the B7 rides on 21-inch “Classic” alloy wheels, which, if you don’t know Alpinas, are the multi-spoke wheels that have been featured on their cars since the very beginning. They’re wrapped in astonishingly large 245/35 ZR 21-inch tires up front and 285/30 ZR 21 inch tires in the back, providing exceptional grip. The traditional Alpina blue is, of course, available on the B7, although seven other colors can be had.

The Alpina B7 will be available only in limited numbers, and pricing has yet to be released. If it sounds like your kind of car, contact your local BMW dealership for more information on this exclusive ultra-high performance sedan.