The BMW 7 Series remains one of the best flagship luxury sedans you can buy today. But then again, the latest iteration of the 7 Series has placed more emphasis on passenger comfort rather than sporty driving dynamics. However, the 2020 Alpina B7 wants to change all that.
Here are the many reasons why the new Alpina B7 is the ultimate 7 Series.
The Alpina B7 is all about power
Sure, BMW gave the 2020 7 Series a more powerful V8 motor. The twin-turbocharged mill now produces 523-horsepower compared to the 443-horsepower of the previous model.
But the Alpina B7 is powered by a hand-assembled version of BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 mill. It produces 600-horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. This allows the B7 to scoot from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5-seconds.
But what’s most impressive is how the engine delivers all that torque. Alpina utilized a new engine management software that allows peak torque to arrive from 2,000 to 5,000 rpm. Putting that into context, the previous B7 G12 churns out peak torque beginning at 3,000 rpm. This means instant throttle response and immediate acceleration at any given engine speed.
The engine is mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic driving all four wheels. In fact, the xDrive AWD system in the new Alpina B7 can transfer 85-percent of engine torque to the rear wheels as needed. This rear-biased AWD system gives the Alpina B7 a genuine rear-wheel-drive feel.
The new Alpina B7 is the fastest sedan in the world
The powerful engine pushes the Alpina B7 to a top speed of 205 mph, which essentially makes it the fastest four-door sedan in the world. The previous record was held by the Dodge Charger Hellcat, which achieves a top speed of 204 mph.
It rides like a luxury car but handles like a sports car
Do you find this hard to believe? This is made possible by the new air suspension in the Alpina B7. It utilizes Active Comfort Drive with Road Preview and Dynamic Damper Control to deliver a smooth and cosseting ride. The suspension can basically read the road surface and adjust the damper settings accordingly.
But when traveling above 140 mph, the air suspension can lower the car by 0.6” to lower the center of gravity. This also equates to sharper handling and better responsiveness. You can also raise the vehicle by 0.8” at slower speeds to easily clear speed bumps.
It has an active steering system
The 2020 Alpina B7 is equipped with an active four-wheel steering system. The rear wheels can turn a maximum of 3-degrees to aid sporty handling and high-speed cornering stability.
The rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels for better nimbleness at slow speeds. But as you travel faster, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels for greater agility.
The new Alpina B7 comes standard with 20” Alpina classic wheels. If you want a bigger set of rollers, Alpina is offering an optional set of 21” Alpina classic wheels. Also standard are model-specific high-performance Michelin tires while all-season tires are a no-cost option.
The Alpina B7 has a luxurious interior
The new Alpina B7 is essentially a 7 Series to the core, so it naturally comes with a plush interior. You’ll find genuine Nappa leather on the multifunctional comfort seats while the instrument panel is also covered in genuine cowhide. The car also comes with piano lacquer or myrtle luxury wood interior trim, blue illumination in the door sills, a handcrafted Alpina leather steering wheel with blue and green stitching, and an exclusive full-color digital instrument display.
The 2020 Alpina B7 remains to be the penultimate 7 Series. Prices start at $141,700 with initial deliveries beginning in the third quarter of 2019.
