Autocars: Mar 26, 2009

Thursday, March 26, 2009

BMW Alpina B7 Biturbo: A symbiosis of luxury and sportiness

With the new BMW Alpina B7 Alpina Biturbo presents its fourth generation on the basis of the BMW 7 series. With prominent predecessors, such as the B12 6.0 and B7, ALPINA continued in the past standards in the luxury class. New and interpreted in all respects in accordance with time, combines the powerful 507 hp Biturbo B7 exclusivity, comfort and sportiness.

Design: Stylish and evolutionary in detail

Dynamic, graceful and powerful at the same time, the BMW Alpina B7 Biturbo. The typical Alpina front integrated true to the motto "Form Follows Function" for the fresh air supply from the divested Hauptkühlpaket gear and engine oil cooler. Clearly aerodynamically oriented interests follows the shape of the front and rear spoilers, the lift at the front and rear axle by more than 30 percent or 15 percent. Left and right lead twin tailpipes of the exhaust system seamlessly into the flow-optimized rear and are a testimony to the potency of B7 Biturbo.

Significantly influence the design of the new 21-inch wheels in Design "Alpina Classic. The three-dimensional momentum of a turbine-like spokes design leads the 20-spoke wheels from the middle to the rim, in whose area the spokes connecting surfaces are frontkopiert. Thus, depending on the perspective of the viewer, light and speed, a constantly changing appearance of these classic bikes.

Drive: First class in performance and consumption

The Bi-Turbo model name now adorns the rear of the new big BMW Alpina sedan and promises to the predecessor models, an even more powerful, high torque at the same time, lower power consumption. At the top, draws the V8 engine with a cylinder capacity 4395 cc power of 507 hp rich in moderate 5,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 700 Nm, between 3,000 4,750 rpm is applied.

The BMW ALPINA B7 Biturbo accelerates effortlessly from low speeds is already sovereign. So the B7 Biturbo sprint in just 4.7 seconds from standstill to 100, then with vehement push the electronically limited top speed of 280 km / h to reach. A new exhaust system made of stainless steel, with two polished twin tailpipes leads, delivers the deep sonorous Alpina known, but not intrusive V8 sound.

The engine with gasoline direct injection, the exhaust emission standard EU5 fulfilled, confident in the high power output with relatively low consumption: 11.9 liters per 100 kilometers, which corresponds to a CO2 emission of 286 g / km.

Power is the automatic 6-speed Switch-Tronic by Alpina and offers the driver - thanks to sport and manual mode - a switching characteristics for every taste. In particular, in manual mode, in which the driver via buttons on the steering wheel back even switching events conducted, should the gearbox zugunterbrechungsfreie switching operations in a few hundred milliseconds to prove what those of a double-clutch gearbox in no way stand.

Even if the full torque of the BMW Alpina B7 Biturbo much reason to hurry nature rarely adjoins the lush dimensioned high-performance braking system with ventilated brake discs and a diameter of 374 millimeters in front and 370 millimeters rear allow delay values at the level of pure sports cars.

Chassis impressively versatile

Long gone is the time to the "hardness sporting" a vaunted suspension properties. Still shows that a clear interpretation on a clearly neutral driving the best of what is technically feasible represents. This is supported by the at the front axle by 15 millimeters and the rear axle by 10 millimeters deeper lying body with a correspondingly shorter and in their characteristic re-tuned springs realized.

Together with the 21 inch wheel / tire combination to succeed in a sensitive, direct-acting chassis tuning, the hardness of a pure sport lacks votes while the agile handling of a middle-class sports sedan provides. The lightweight rims Alpina chose targeted front 8.56 x 21 inches with tires in size 245/35 and rear in 10 x 21 inches and tires of the dimension 285/30. The compound of Michelin Tires waives Runflat technology and uses a subtle vote komfortfördernden the finesse of a conventional tire.

The standard chassis with electronic damping control of a dynamic and active roll stabilization allows the driver driving through the setting of the switch chassis in three stages: Comfort, Normal and Sport. Those aware of a concerted and significant spread of the driver resolvable setting the damper and the roll stabilization is associated with a change of all the driving dynamics influencing parameters, such as Steering, and load Gaspedalkennlinie shock attenuation.

The BMW ALPINA B7 Bi-Turbo offers the driver a high degree of versatility and supplies for the long-desired comfort as well as for roads expected sportsmanship and a high degree of enjoyment. Even the exploration of the border area is particularly experienced drivers do not deny: the "sport plus" setting will automatically turn the systems into an enlarged DSC mode called Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), the more slip on the drive wheels and a subsequent intervention of the control systems possible.

Luxurious interior noble in detail

When you start taking immediately the blue-lit bar in the initial design Alpina true. The steering wheel with a diameter of 385 millimeters, with the finest, griffsympathischem Lavalina leather by hand. In view of the driver shows with blue dials and red pointers-equipped instrument in combi-LCD technology is always the most important information.
The classic Alpina-precious equipment in myrtle, an exclusive root burl from the genus of the laurel plants, exclusively on the Pacific coast of the United States occurs, provides warm ambience. New, available for a surcharge piano bars in the interior with silver diamond applications offer a modern alternative.

Discreet Alpina emblems adorn metal while the comfort seats with leather upholstery, which in the extensive standard equipment as well as the metallic coating or a navigation system with Bluetooth mobile phone preparation may not be missing. The engine bears the signature of Alpina tidy and presents itself with a newly designed engine cover.