Alpina B7 4.4 V8 Switch-tronic

What‘s it? It’s Alpina new range-topper, in effect a BMW 7-series with a little bit of extra grunt, much more torque, a bespoke interior and a few very natty 21-inch alloy wheels that aren‘t wrapped around runflat tyres. This car is that the first chance Alpina has had to tweak BMW’s 4. 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 motor, hardly a weakling in its own right. However the revamp is really a comprehensive one, even extending to different metals utilized in the block. Alpina also remaps the ECU and adds an array of extra coolers - including four new ones behind the front valence alone - to keep your engine, intercoolers, hydraulics and transmission in check. There’s no word upon the automatic gearbox’s specification, incidentally, but offered the tweaked engine’s stats - 500bhp and 516lb ft - we’d be astonished if its internals were regular BMW kit. The B7 weighs over two tonnes, therefore the brakes are uprated too ; the spec is definitely often fitted to BMW’s ultra-heavy armoured vehicles. What Alpina has really created is really a rival to the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, a car that BMW itself seems reluctant to construct. Performance is staggering, with 0-62mph inside a claimed 4. 7sec and also a top speed - restricted, mind - of 174mph. What’s it like? Rapid. Really frighteningly rapid. Okay, so there could be the teeniest delay in case you nail the throttle at idle. But by, say 1500rpm, an enormous surge of torque is already propelling you well beyond the UK legal limit and onto speeds which are only of use on autobahns. It feels every bit as quick like the hot Merc - more so, I’d say, offered the huge shove offered from the twin turbos. It’s still an enormous car, mind you, so don’t think that you’re visiting chuck it around adore it doesn’t weigh two tonnes. The B7 has four chassis set-ups, however the two extremes - comfort and sport plus - feel unduly wafty and uncomfortably tail-happy respectively. The 2 middle set-ups tend to be more effective, but as the B7 feels agile, it feels as a big agile car. Don’t expect 5-series levels of chuckability. The steering is likewise just a little vague all around the straight ahead, although it will weight up nicely when you’re pushing on. The ride is really a triumph, however ; sure, road noise is much more pronounced coming from the 21-inch Alpina Classic alloys, however the switch from runflats to bespoke Michelins means that you may trundle around urban roads with little fear from being bounced off your (very comfortable ) seat. the B7 is comfortable on worn motorways, too, even at greater than 150mph. Should I buy one? The B7 exists because America and also the Middle East adore the idea of an enormous, rapid executive limousine - and don’t care much exactly what damage it will towards the environment. The new version will only enhance that appeal. But albeit it’s a little more efficient compared to the outgoing model (a powerful achievement ), and although ride is preferable to many a normal 7-series, it’s a challenge to recommend the B7 for British buyers. It’s difficult to consider an area from the British Isles big or empty enough for that car to really stretch its legs, so you’d always feel as if you had been using around 30 per cent of their performance. And also at this price, that might be a sorry waste of pace, and cash. A D7, however... Nevertheless, Alpina’s first take upon the twin-turbo V8 petrol is very encouraging, given that it lump will almost certainly finish up inside the next B5. Bring it on. John McIlroyAll photos by Cliff Serna Alpina B7 4. 4 V8 Switch-tronic