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To learn the true abilities of the ALPINA B7, BMW Blog takes it to the Laguna Seca for a racetrack test. This vehicle delivers 194 mph, a very impressive number that fits the super car category. Can a 4-door saloon based on a BMW 7 series executive limo be track worthy? Learn more on this excerpt below:
They made it faster?
Since I drove the B7 last, it has gained another 40 hp and 22 lb-ft of torque, now showing a tour-de-force 540 hp and 538 ft-lb of torque. It hardly needed it. I recall the last thing I thought the B7 needed was more power. But I’m not complaining.
This additional spin and twist brings the speedometer to new found territories on the gauge. It also gets from 0-60 in a staggering 4.3 seconds – we suspect that with a backwind, warm tires, and a small prayer, the B7 will reach 60 mph even quicker than the stated figures.
What about the possibility of executive first-class flight?
Thanks to wind-tunnel tuned aero, the B7 achieves near 0-lift at speed. This allows all 4,655 lbs to push the sticky Michelin rubber deep into the pavement while you’re ripping through the atmosphere beyond Learjet take-off rotation speeds.
All of the above is possible thanks to a few key technical enhancements. Under the hood, larger turbos have been added to increase boost pressure, and the engine now features BMW’s throttle-less “Valvetronic†valvetrain technology for better throttle response and improved fuel economy. If my memory from the press launch serves me correctly, the additional performance does not come at the consequence of increased emissions – these figures remain the same.
A new 8-speed transmission makes its way onto the B7 for 2013, and this transmission is excellent in every measurable and tactile way. It is quick-shifting, smooth and positive in feel. Another benefit is further increased fuel economy and range thanks to the added gear. I lament that the B7 lacks flappy paddles for manual shifting – it resorts to buttons on the back of the steering wheel, a very poor alternative when you’re on track.
