Unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in early March, the Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo finally goes on sale in the UK. Dubbed as the world’s fastest four-door production car, Alpina took the B7 even further in the mere five months since its world premiere – more power and 205 mph (330 km/h) top speed.
At Geneva, the beefed up 7 Series was expected to push out 600 hp and 800 Nm of torque from its 4.4-litre bi-turbo V8. That figure has swelled ever so slightly to 608 hp while torque remains the same. However, with just eight extra horses, unrestricted top speed is raised from 311 km/h to a staggering 330 km/h! Earning the Alpina B7 the right to join the prestigious 200-mph club.
UK bound B7’s are driven exclusively by the rear-wheels and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds. Alpina has worked together with ZF on strengthening the eight-speed automatic transmission with additional cooling, strengthened gear clusters and a larger torque converter. As a result, the revised transmission is able to withstand the immense torque from the V8 engine over the lifespan of the car.
Other performance enhancing equipment includes air suspension (-20 mm ride height in ALPINA Sport+), Active Roll Stabilisation, ALPINA-tuned active rear steering (turns the rear wheels up to three degrees), recalibrated variable ratio electric steering and increased wheel camber. All these helps the two tonne business saloon to carry its own weight with poise around the bends.
Alpina did not go all out with the design, keeping the elegance we all know and love of the G12 7 Series. Some Alpina touches include a revised bumper that helps channel more air into the engine bay, 20-inch ALPINA Classic 20-spoke forged alloys (21-inch are optional), Alpina brakes calipers painted in blue, aerodynamically-optimised rear bumper as well as B7 badging on the door panels. Other non-visible cues are the A-, B-, C-pillars, transmission tunnel and windscreen header made out of carbon fibre composite.
Inside, the cabin remains largely untouched except for the Alpina steering wheel badge, Alpina illuminated door sills and Alpina Blue mood lighting. Standard equipment on UK-market cars includes high-end Nappa leather, leather-draped instrument panel, ceramic finishes on control buttons, soft close doors, full-colour Heads-Up Display and rear-view camera.
Prices for the Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo starts from £115,000 (RM651k) and comes with a 3-Years or 120,000-mile BMW-endorsed warranty.
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