BMW ALPINA B7 Review

2008 BMW ALPINA B7 Sedan

If you're lucky enough to have taken the last-generation BMW 7 Series luxury sedan for a spin, you'll know that BMW's trademark driving dynamics and performance were largely retained despite the car's ample dimensions and heft. Nonetheless, there were still those well-heeled enthusiasts for whom the "regular" 7 Series just wouldn't cut it. "It's too soft," they complained. "And anything less than 500 horsepower just won't cut it." That's why the BMW Alpina B7 -- a high-performance 7 Series variant -- appeared on the scene.

Most enthusiast customers seemed satisfied with the 7 Series, which had long been available with powerful V8 and V12 engines as well as sporty suspension tuning. That began to change with the advent of high-performance variants of competing models from companies like Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Although BMW's iconic M division is normally a leader in factory performance tuning, there has never been an M7, as the engineers decided that the 7 Series just wasn't sporty enough to warrant the full-on M treatment. So the company turned to Alpina, a German aftermarket tuner that has enjoyed a close domestic relationship with BMW for decades but is largely unknown to the American consumer.

The BMW Alpina B7 was the fruit of Alpina's labor. Put simply, it was a last-generation BMW 750i with big wheels, better brakes, firmer suspension settings and -- oh yeah -- a beastly supercharger. In addition to pumping out an even 500 hp and 516 pound-feet of torque, the B7 sported an aggressive body kit and handled about as well as a 4,700-pound vehicle can. With the exception of the mandatory conventional automatic transmission, it's essentially an M7 by another name.

Most Recent BMW Alpina B7

Produced from 2007-'08, the BMW Alpina B7 competed in the exclusive performance luxury sedan segment. Offered in one trim level and only with the 7 Series' shorter wheelbase, the Alpina B7 came standard with 21-inch wheels, upgraded brakes, a body kit with integrated rear spoiler, steering-wheel-mounted shift buttons and a few aesthetic upgrades in the cabin. Other standard equipment was identical with that on the ultra-luxurious 760Li, which meant just about every sumptuous and high-tech feature that BMW could find in its bag of tricks.

The heart and soul of the Alpina B7 resides under the hood, where a radial supercharger -- the first of its kind in any production car -- bumped the output of BMW's now-defunct 4.4-liter V8 to 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, a huge increase from the stock 325 hp and 330 lb-ft. The sole available transmission was a six-speed automatic with manual shift control. Although the B7 wasn't the swiftest car in its segment (a distinction that belonged to the mind-numbingly rapid Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG), its estimated 0-60 mph sprint of 5.0 seconds rendered it quicker than just about any hopped-up luxo-barge on the planet, and its projected top speed of 186 mph meant it could outrun all but the fastest sports cars. Fuel economy was unknown -- but if you're curious about that, you're probably not seriously considering buying a B7.

The last-generation 7 Series styling was not exactly well-received, but Alpina did its best with the controversial design, adding a bold but tasteful body kit that mitigates some of the more egregious stylistic offenses. Inside, the B7 was basically your garden-variety 760Li, which is mostly a good thing. There's the last-generation iDrive, of course, which is guaranteed to raise your ire even after you've become familiar with the system's labyrinthine menus. Beyond that, however, we can't really complain about a cabin designed to coddle occupants like no previous BMW.

In performance testing, our editors were duly impressed with Alpina's transformation of the 7 Series. Handling was a relative concept for a vehicle that weighs nearly 2.5 tons, but the B7 was nonetheless a legitimate sport sedan. Tossable? Well, not quite. But thanks to Alpina's suspension tweaks and that meaty 21-inch rubber, as well as the upgraded brakes, the B7 felt responsive and utterly composed in virtually every situation.

Used BMW Alpina B7s will be few and far between, and interested parties should keep in mind that there were no changes made during its short life.

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* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.