The bad news for the Alpina B7, of course, is that rival Mercedes-Benz has just updated the engine in its high-performance $138,000 S63 AMG. Gone is the naturally-aspirated 507-horsepower 6.3-liter V8. In its place is a new twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8, rated at 536 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque (opt for the $7,300 Performance Package, and those numbers soar to 563 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque). When it comes to powerplants, the new S63 AMG engine is about as good as they come, but the S-Class' overall performance package still falls short of the B7. Put another way, nobody races an S63, but more than a handful of Alpina owners frequent the track – with hardly a laugh from the peanut gallery. Review: 2011 BMW Alpina B7 — Autoblog
The front lights could be designed differently but rear, profile and interior looks good. Elegant, stylish car with a touch of luxury. As a total package its one of the best cars to own. I could live with the frontlights. Besides the car looks better IRL than photos. OMG this rear
That picture isn't very flattering, but the 7er front is still better than any MB or Audi Plus the fact that a standard 7er front looks better than the Alpina version, and the fact that the 7er is going to enter the LCI in not too long.... No worries for the magnificent F01. Hideous is a word that suits the new SLK.
The F01 has one of the the worst looking front ends of the entire BMW line up. Z4, 3er, 5er, 6er, 3er Coupe, X5, X6, 5er GT, 1er... All this cars have a better looking front end than the 7 Series, which has a weird looking air intake, almost rounded kidneys, and its headlights are not aggressive enough.
It has been like that since the E65. The 7series always have the soft face without the angry aggressiveness of other models. And obviously BMW wants to amplify every design element on the 7series, while MB can always play it safe with the S. Same as the C class gets wilder designs than the 3series. I just dont' think the F01 suits sports packages, it's meant to be pure elegance.
The very same 7er we know today, with the kidneys of the CS, a different air intake and the CS headlights would have been so much better. Anyway, the 7er should have been the CS with unbroken shoulder line and production interior. It would have been a much better looking car.
The F01 Alpina B7 exudes a confident athletic elegance like no other car in its' market segment. Subtle and unpretentious, nothing contrived or ostentatious. Would easily be my favorite Alpina if there were no F10 Alpina B5, which in my eyes is absolutely mouth watering. And the upcoming Alpina cars based on the new F12/13 6 series will surely be nothing less than breathtakingly gorgeous. I will chime in with the chorus with regard to the CS Concept: I also find it rather unfortunate that a number of CS design cues were not adapted to the F01. A greenhouse that is just the slightest of a nuance more rakish, so very slightly less upright perhaps. Simply a few millimeters would have made quite a visible difference. And the taillamp treatment on the CS Concept would have been a wonderful styling element on the F01.
BMW Alpina B7 FULL review from Edmunds' InsideLine And of course the next day, we're hammering this car around Infineon Raceway and it hardly seems like a luxury car at all. Once you dial the chassis calibration to Sport+, the transmission shifts so quick and hard that it can be unpleasant, while the chassis maintains an evenly balanced poise even when the Michelin PS2s get hot, something you really notice in the Turn 1-Turn 3 combination, which sloshes you this way and that as if you were the only cocktail olive in a very large jar. 2011 BMW Alpina B7 Full Test
Car and Driver short take road test of the Alpina B7 2011 BMW Alpina B7 - Short Take Road Test - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver Exhilarating power seamlessly delivered, ritzy interior, quiet operation, smooth ride.
