New Alpina B7 – because you still can’t have a BMW M7

The new Alpina B7 arrives, based on the new ‘Big Grille’ BMW 7 Series, delivering 600bhp and 590lb/ft of torque. Costs around £135k.

Alpina like to do understated performance versions of BMW’s already desirable cars, but the new Alpina B7 – Alpina’s take on the BMW 7 Series – can’t fly too far under the radar as it sports the new 7 Series’ great big in yer face grille. Still, the rest is quite subtle.

The Alpina B7 is aimed at anyone wanting a 205mph luxury limousine with properly sporty pretensions who doesn’t want a Mercedes S63 AMG, and wants a bit more involvement than BMW’s own 760iL offers. 

The V8 under the B7’s bonnet starts life in the 750i, but Alpina take its paltry 522bhp and turn it up to 600bhp and 590lb/ft of torque, enough to get the 7 Series behemoth to 62mph in 3.6 seconds and on to 205mph.

The more powerful V8 gets help from all that torque arriving at 2,000rpm, a strengthened and faster-shifting eight-speed automatic, tweaked xDrive four-wheel drive for a sportier response, and fettled suspension which drops by 15mm when you get past 140mph. Which might be a bit of a giveaway.

The cosmetic makeover is Alpina reserved, with Alpina’s signature alloys making the B7 look far more purposeful and tweaks to the front bumper also adding functional air intakes.

The Alpina B7 should arrive in the UK later in 2019. Expect it to cost around £135,000.