[m5board] Alpina B7 review (by MEnthusiast)

ree · **[m5board] Alpina B7 review (by MEnthusiast) -** 08-21-2007, 09:06 AM

The following review was written by MEnthusiast. (He is a member on m5board.com):

Quote:

Alpina B7 review
by: MEnthusiast
“Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far.”- Theodore Roosevelt (see - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER)

Introduction
I always thought the above quote was “Walk softly and carry a big stick”- even though I was mistaken on this quote, it is exactly how I characterize the 2007 Black Sapphire/ Crema Alpina B7 I have been driving for the past month (about 1,700 miles so far). I think its the ultimate “Q-Ship”. And, I like its sleeper/stealth status.

The purpose of this article is not to tell you that the car is fast (you already know it is), or to tell you that the whole package is awesome (again, it is), but rather to give you some of the essence of the vehicle and sense of how the Alpina B7 (US version) relates to other cars that many of us have experience with.

I am sure most people here know that Alpina has been associated with BMW in some capacity or another for over 40 years. I believe this association predates BMW’s Motorsport division’s age. Alpina enjoys a very special and close relationship with BMW today. Alpina is not a mere “tuner”- they are registered as a vehicle manufacturer in Germany. Over the years they have partnered with BMW to produce some very exciting vehicles that share the BMW passion for driving but get there in a different fashion than the M cars. Alpina usually designates their vehicles with a “B” for Alpina's founder, Burkhard Bovensiepen. Hence an Alpina 7 series is designated as “B7”. Alpina says their cars are for the connoisseur. I would agree- possessing the knowledge about what makes an Alpina special is part of the appreciation of it as one of the finer things in the automotive world.

The B7 is the second Alpina officially brought into the US. The first was the Alpina V8 Roadster- an Alpina version of the Z8. It offered an automatic transmission, slightly less horsepower and slightly more torque, retuned suspension and Alpina wheels. The B7 is the first Alpina sedan to be offered for sale by BMW NA.

Big Power
BMW and Alpina claim the super charged V8 featured in the B7 produces 500 (SAE net)bhp and 516 lb-ft (SAE Net). That’s almost 700NM for those of you on the metric system. Its not an understatement to say this is a lot of power. Clearly the B7 has the big stick! The B7 uses a modified version of the 745 engine. Alpina says they use this engine because its internals are a little stronger than those in the newer V8 that graces the 750/650/550/X5 4.8i. It could also be that although the B7 has just made its way to the US, it has been available for sale in Europe for several years, and thus was developed on the earlier 745- and certainly the power is not lacking so why tune a new engine when the slightly older one is working just fine. Perhaps both reasons are valid.

Adding a supercharger to the 745 engine was no easy task due the the Valvetronic system BMW now uses. I’m not an engine expert but my understanding is Valvetronic eliminates the traditional throttle mechanism and also works in conjunction with double VANOS. You can see more on Valvetronic here: - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER . I read somewhere that no one had supercharged a Valvetronic engine before Alpina did the B7, and the process is more involved than a typical supercharger setup. (I may have read this in last month’s Roundel, the magazine of the BMW Car Club of America, a really great magazine and a great club so if you are a US Bimmer owner, sign up!). The supercharger Alpina uses is a centrifugal type and supposedly this is the first time one has been used on a BMW. So that is a pair of firsts for Alpina. The distinguishing character of this kind of supercharger is that it does not make big power until the revs climb. I am not certain as to why this type of supercharger was chosen but my speculation is to make sure slow, creep along driving is gentle and drama free for the benefit of the passengers. More speculation is that perhaps it has less parasitic effect at low RPMs thus increasing fuel efficiency in stop and go traffic- a time when using the supercharger is not necessary.

Tremendous workmanship
When the hood is lifted up on its struts, the giant intercooler and supercharger are revealed, along with the 745’s V8 engine and anyone can see high quality of workmanship by BMW and Alpina. It is simply a beautiful sight. It is also nice and more inspiring to see more mechanical bits than are on display in contemporary M engine bays. This could easily have come from BMWs own factory, and in a way, it does. Member Kees adds the following: One very small correction/amendment. The production process between Alpina and BMW has become so integrated over the years that nowadays engine and suspension are installed on the BMW production line for most Alpinas and the cars are then sent to Buchloe for finishing and special options like custom interiors. Engine installation however was not the case for the supercharged cars (B5, B6 and B7) up to now, but for the North America specification B7 this has been re-organised. The production volume of Alpina is limited to about 1000 cars per year - so the 1000 units for MY2007 & 2008 North American specification B7 really has a big impact for them. By limiting interior choice on the North America specification B7 to standard BMW choices this means the North America specification B7's never see Buchloe. Also I believe the interior production department at Alpina simply wouldn't be able to handle the added load of additional production. BTW - for other Alpinas the final quality control never takes place at BMW - the cars are shipped from Buchloe to the end customer. I'd be happy to state that the Alpina quality control is higher than that of BMW. I will add here that I have read quotes from people on the Alpina side saying they would not want a dramatic increase in production so it seems BMW and Alpina have figured out a formula to get some Alpinas to the USA. I feel something is usually better than nothing and this is certainly the case here.

To get that power to the rear wheels Alpina has swapped the OEM 745/750 differential for the one from the 745d. The 745d just so happens to make...... 700NM or 516.3 ft-lb of torque (interesting coincidence!). The 745d, though makes 296bhp while the Alpina goes on to make at least another 200. From the differential the B7 power surge goes to massive 21” Alpina 20 spoke wheels wearing 285/30 ZR-21 (100Y) rubber at the rear. Controlling the power up front are the same 20 spoke 21” Alpina wheels, but not quite as wide- they wear 245/35 ZR-21 (96Y) rubber.

Do not try to run this car through an automated car wash!!! Besides being a terribly vulgar thought for your beautiful Alpina B7, the wheels are too large for most car washes! The wheels are also gorgeous. They feature a (unique to Alpina as far as I know) locking wheel cover. The lug nuts and valve stem are hidden behind this cover. This gives the wheels a very elegant look. The size gives them a powerful look- so you have elegance and power- a fitting metaphor for the B7. To open the wheel cover, you have to push on the Alpina Crest- it pivots out of the way to reveal a keyhole. Keys for the wheel cover are supplied with the vehicle and the same key can operate all 4 covers. The downside of this approach is the act of simply checking the air pressure is not as quick and easy as it would otherwise be. I am more than happy to live with this tradeoff for such a special vehicle. However, I am less enamored with the short valve stems. They are up to half as long as what I observe on other vehicles and that means many air compressors will not latch on to it. I could not get 3 out of 4 compressors I own to latch on. Thankfully I have a small portable one which works. I should say I did not try the M Mobility kit. I would hope that it would work, but be warned if you buy a B7- make sure to test this out at home before you have a problem on the road. Of course, there is a full size spare in the trunk- this is very welcome for me as I will drive my family around in this vehicle. The spare is a 18” wheel which, when fitted to a front location looks like it just ever so barely fits beyond the massive caliper and rotor. I know this because a hard and difficult to see pothole (at night time) caused the suspension to compress so hard that I heard that metallic “crash” one dreads. The Michelin Pilot Sport 2 did not pop nor come unseated- to its credit. When I got home I noted a bubble in the tire but no damage to the big 21” wheel. I am very glad I bought the wheel and tire protection the dealer offered for $700 when I bought the car. Car and Driver in their July 2007 issue reported that a single Alpina wheel retails for $4,200! I am assuming they have the cost of a new Michelin Pilot Sport tire in there as well. This makes the $700 bet I placed look that much more wise.

These wheels are controlled by an Alpina modified 5 series steering wheel which features all of the standard 7 series buttons but loses the heated steering wheel feature (a shame in my opinion) and gains Alpina’s switch-tronic shift buttons located behind the steering wheel at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions. The steering wheel features leather which is of very high quality and feels almost like it was buffed so much that its on the verge of being “sueded”- it almost feels like a fine suede. Its very nice.

These specifications are for a vehicle capable of very fast speeds and to make sure it can reign in its 4,684lbs of mass, Alpina has fitted the brakes from the 760i. I believe they use 1” larger rotors than on the 750 for more swept space. I am not sure if the calipers are larger.

Alpina Touches
The interior of the US Alpina features a changed instrument cluster which is redone in Alpina Blue and the BMW roundel on the steering wheel has been replaced by the Alpina Crest. Blue and Green stitching adorns the steering wheel, very much like what you would see with the M colors in an M car. Its a nice touch which I appreciate. The headliner has been redone in alcantara, and in my opinion it is of a higher quality than what is found on the latest M5. There is also a nice plaque located just forward of the sun roof which lets all know that this is an Alpina B7. Another nice touch. The Alpina crest adorns the carpets in the lower right hand corner and the carpets seem of a little nicer quality than that on a standard BMW.

Although I can understand the business reasons, I find it somewhat regrettable that BMW has not allowed US customers to go for the full Alpina treatment on the interior of the B7. In particular, US customers are denied certain combinations of leather and wood color. For example, you cannot order the more reddish “Alpina wood” unless you order the exterior in Alpina Blue. And US customers cannot order the Alpina leather, we instead get the standard 7 series leather. The standard leather is very nice, but I believe the Alpina leather is even nicer and it would be nice to have the choice. Additionally, US customers are also denied the choice of the longer wheel base B7 (based on the E66 7 series- as opposed to the shorter wheel base E65). Not having the longer wheelbase option was a concern for me going into the purchase. Bottom line on the interior- very nice subtle touches that enhance the standard 7 series interior. The feeling is akin to the difference from a 550 to an M5.

The exterior differences are a little less dramatic, but the effect of one of the changes is truly transformational. Aside from the gorgeous wheels, the exterior features shadowline exterior trim (which can be ordered on any 7 series with the sport package) the B7 features an Alpina front fascia and lower bumper cover that has the exhaust exposed. Some have argued that having the dual pipes come poke out of the drivers side of the lower rear bumper runs counter to the high end image of a 7 series, but I like it, it gives the car a sporty look. The real game changer is the wing on the rear end. Alpina has managed to nearly eliminate what many commentators found so disturbing about the 7 series rear end. The addition of their rear wing, although it is added on, does not look “tacked-on” at all, and in side profile makes the rear end look longer and helps pull ones eyes out and up, and therefore the eyes do not stop to focus on the abrupt rear end. When viewing the rear end straight on, the wing helps to hide the fact that the trunk sticks out from the sides of the car so much and thus makes the rear end look more squared off and complete. This is further added by the changes BMW made to the standard 7 series rear end, which work to make it look more integrated into the entire design. The result of the newer 7 series rear end and the Alpina wing is something that looks much more coherent and therefore pleasing to my eyes. By the way, the restyled 7 series front end is also much more pleasing to my eyes. When I look at the car I am no longer questioning some of the styling choices, but rather, I think- “wow, that looks really great”. I feel the choice of black also helps this as the other colors will show the lines more, and I wonder if the added on Alpina rear wing will be more exposed. I should also add that the Alpina paint team should be congratulated because the rear wing, and Alpina front fascia are an excellent paint match to the trunk and front end. Especially on the rear wing, which is a plastic piece, getting a metallic paint to match, not just color but also the consistency of the metallic particles, is really a tough job.

So what we have so far is: lots of power with terrific workmanship and a beautiful package. Now its time for the driving experience.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE!!!
Some history. My first BMW M car was a 1996 E36 M3 coupe. I loved its nimble and balanced chassis. It was like having a car wired into my brain. When the E39 M5 was announced I was hoping that the driving experience would be like a big M3. It was not and I was initially disappointed. The steering and braking feel were much less immediate and the mass of the vehicle was much more present when cornering. In reality the E39 M5 was kind of like a super 540i sport than the M3’s big brother. In time I came to appreciate the E39 M5 though. Once I became more comfortable with its controls and handling, I realized what a great accomplishment BMW M had achieved. The engine was very torquey and that allowed you to get away with acceleration even if you were not always in the correct gear. One did not have to drive the E39 flat out hard to get enjoyment out of it, but I find with the E60 M5, one really has to be driving it fairly hard to get a sense of fun out of it. Perhaps its the higher up powerband or the SMG. Its ironic because the E60 M5 is more of what I originally thought I wanted- something bigger with more luxury, but whose personalty is still the fast reacting and nimble machine at heart. The E60 M5's steering and brakes and fast revving engine are all superior parts to those on the E39 M5. The E60 M5 is really a terrific car. That said, with both in my past, guess which one I have more fond memories of- its the E39. BMW achieved a balance of attributes on that machine they never had on the E60. It went beyond the specs and the parts.

Maybe this is due to my changing perspective over the years. My needs and wants have changed. With the E60 M5, BMW delivered what I wanted 7-8 years ago, my life now is different. I have children and I am lucky to have dedicated sports cars for the times that I would like something more adventurous. I also have far more driving experience. The E60 M5 is a great car for someone who wants a luxury car which truly believes its a sports car. Now the compromise which makes the E60 M5 so alluring for so many was limiting and even annoying for me during the more mundane driving activities like taking my children to school. The M5 shines when its being driven flat out hard, but IMHO its not at its finest hour when its being asked to do the more mundane things. My wants now are for something larger but with its focus more to the luxury side- yet still with power for when I would like it.

Enter the Alpina B7. After a month and about 1,700 miles with it, in all different driving situations I can tell you that this is what I was after. The overall experience is kind of like driving a bigger, more powerful E39 M5. Kind of like the E39 M5's big, bad, slightly older cousin.

As mentioned before, the power quoted is 500bhp and 516 lb-ft. My own unscientific, seat-of-the-pants sense says: Alpina and BMW are being conservative. I cannot say I know what the engine is making, but I would not be shocked to learn it makes 5-10% above its quoted figure. Whereas the power from the V10 is something a little short on initial drama but becomes shocking as the revs build, the supercharged Alpina V8 gives you that big torque “whomp” right from the second you hit the throttle. There is a momentary pause as the Switchtronic grabs the lowest possible gear though. There's no substitute for a manual transmission when it comes to making a fast gear shift- though the Switchtronic's manual shifting does result in some surprisingly quick shifts for an automatic. Once the right gear is selected though, you will ride a deep wave of torque and then power until the redline at a low (relative to the M5s V10) 6200 RPM. Even though this is a big mass (over 4,500lbs!) the power delivery just hits you with its thrust and when you ask for more as it feels like there is an unlimited well of power to tap. Car and Driver reported that their B7 hit 60 MPH in only 4.4 seconds (BMW claims 4.8 seconds) and ran the quarter mile in 12.8 seconds where they said the Alpina would pull away from an Audi R8- thats a spports car which weighs 1,100 pounds less! Unlike with the E60 M5's V10, where you really need a lot of road to get to the smile inducing part of the experience, this big torque attack supercharged V8 gets you grinning like a little child right from the get go. You can still gobble up a tremendous amount of road if you so choose, but you don't need to be going 60+ MPH to before your smiles start- something I feel is the case with the E60 M5 (big, relatively heavy car+ high revving screamer of an engine).

The initial throttle sensitivity is not something that most Bimmerphiles will be pleased with immediately though. The throttle is sensitive enough, but it seems that Alpina has dialed in more degree of initial throttle travel to get a similar amount of action from the engine/ transmission than BMW would specify. This takes a little getting used to and it took me about two weeks to truly get used to it. I’d say the feeling is somewhere between standard BMW and AMG. I am not sure why Alpina does this but it could be an effort to create a trademark “Alpina” throttle feel or perhaps given the torquey nature of their vehicles a way to help the driver percisely meter out the power. Once one pushes their foot into the throttle, the sensitivity is there and its easy to control the power. Compared to either vehicle a stock 745 or 750 will just feel flat- but the naturally aspirated V8 vehicle will give you a bit more torque surge than in the M5.

As mentioned above the supercharger does not really come on until about 2,200 RPM and when combined with the relatively longer initial throttle travel required to get underway the result is the impression of what Car and Driver called a “sluggish throttle”. I cannot find too much fault with that description, but I would probably not paint this with such a broad brush. I would instead say that the car is setup to allow you to be extra smooth with it and safeguards against sudden jerkiness. Despite what Alpina and BMW claim the transmission does not respond much quicker than what I recall in the standard 7 Series. Hoewever, the Alpina program, even when in regular mode, will hold gears longer than the standard 7 series program. And sport mode really holds gears for a long time and even stays one gear lower in most situations. And the Switchtronic buttons behind the steering wheel work well enough but do not inspire their use the way the SMG paddles do in the M5/6.

I use the normal mode 99% of the time. The only place the package has a real shortcoming is when decelerating from 40 MPH or so into a side street and then needing more power to get up a hill. The transmission will have shifted to a higher gear due to the higher speed and then the braking does not see the transmission engage a lower gear, probably to avoid jerkiness. Upon completing the turn and wanting power, one has got to learn to put their foot deeper into the throttle than normal otherwise the power feels flat. Again, this is something that gets learned within a few weeks, but it is something to be aware of. The B7 is not M car sharp with its control responses then. Which is not a bad thing, as this is in keeping with its personality.

I would carry this over to the steering as well. The car steers much like a regular 7 series, but there is more grip to the front end (well the whole car actually due to those massive Pilot Sport 2 tires). The steering wheel is slightly smaller than from a regular 7 series and the front wheels are bigger and there is a moderate amount of understeer , the result being the car feels somewhat heavy to steer. The B7 will change direction quickly if required to but it is a substantial car and feels it. This is not a car for fast switch backs- though it can handle them, it just wont feel at home doing that- this is a car for big canyon carving, big highway sweepers. There the right steering angle can be dialed in progressively and gently. The B7 is a car whose limits are high but the weight and mass will keep many drivers from getting too close and thats a good thing in my opinion since there is a lot of potential for getting into trouble given the size and power of the car. That said, it is a lot of fun to hustle the big B7 down some sweepers. Just like the E39 M5 the natural reaction is: a car of this size has no businesses doing that! But it does it and it does it in a relaxing and easy manner.

Alpina has Merlin the Suspension Wizard on the books
Which brings us to the suspension. I have no idea how Alpina has done it, but one would think that big 21” rims + rubber band tires + stiffer suspension would equal hasher and harder ride. It doesn’t! I don’t know what master suspension wizard Alpina has locked away, but I suggest they keep him or her well fed and under lock and key. The ride on the B7 is an astonishing mix of comfort and control. This car rides smoothly and takes impacts better than a 745Li sport I spent time with and feels more nimble than that 7. That could be partly due to the shorter wheel base, but I also spent a lot of time years ago with the 745i (short wheel base) and this B7 feels more nimble than that also.

The seats are the comfort seats out of the standard 7 series. These seats are excellent and offer a tremendous amount of adjustment to fit all sizes. Combined with the fully adjustable steering wheel and I would think anyone would find the correct seating position. If one orders the seats in black or crema there is the option for seat cooling. I’m someone who appreciates this option. The seats also have a massage option. It works nicely. The B7 is a very relaxing place to be. When I got caught in terrible traffic one day, rather than getting frustrated, I put on the seat cooling, the seat massage, engaged the auto parking brake and put on some nice music. This was a very, very nice change from dealing with SMG. The auto parking brake is something BMW introduced on the 7 series and I believe has carried over to several other models now. When active it will apply the electronic parking brake once the vehicle becomes stationary. This way you can take your foot off the brake pedal and rest it. When you touch the throttle, the electronic parking brake gently disengages. The early versions of this were a little rough but this has been refined and I really appreciate it in bad traffic. It sounds like another silly gizmo BMW has dreamed up- but it really does work and the benefit to resting your foot is surprising once you get used to it, its something thats easy to miss the next time you’re driving something lacking the auto parking brake. My car also features the active cruise control, but I have not yet had a chance to use it.

The standard 7 series iDrive system has been continually improved and is now relatively easy to use and still gives a multitude of options. One of my favorites is the ability to change the automatic fan speed preference per side of the vehicle. For example we leave the HVAC controls in automatic but I can tell the car that I would prefer a higher fan speed and my wife would prefer a lower fan speed.
Comfort access works as advertised and the blue tooth works wonderfully with my iphone. The logic 7 stereo is also wonderful and IMHO all three of these work better than on my 06 M5. Of course, this car is 18 months newer- so they should.

One option which I thought superfluous but I can see does enhance safety is the night vision. On the first day I had the B7, I arrived at my local street just after dusk. I decided to activate the night vision just to give it a try- and it showed me a deer about 300 feet outside my own vision. Deer are a problem for drivers where I live. The owners manual says to use night vision like a rear view mirror- glance at it quickly- do not stare at it. All I can say is- it works. Very impressive.

The brakes work too. They are from the 760 and they feel like all BMW brakes do- direct with good feel- but on the B7 they feel just a bit more powerful. This could also be the result of sticky tires. While the brakes work wonderfully, they do leave evidence of their good work: a TON of brake dust. If you are someone who really hates brake dust on your beautiful rims, I would tell you that my observation is the brake dust build up with the B7 is about 1.5-2X that with any other BMW, M cars included. This is not a complaint, just an observation. If this is the price of having great brakes, then so be it.

Fuel economy is pretty good considering its a big heavy car with sticky tires and forced induction. Official figures are 15/23 and my average since day 1 is about 15. On the highway I think I will average about 21 or so and in purely local driving I am averaging abut 14. A recent round trip to my relatives’ home around 90 miles away and then some local driving had me average 17 MPG. With the M5 I would average about 3MPG less in these situations. The B7 has a 21 gallon gas tank as compared to about 15 for the M5. What this means is I will get about 100 miles more range per tank of gas than with the M5. The M5’s thirst and its relatively small fuel tank are rightly the source of some gripes among the M5 owner community and I was one of the people less than happy with the amount of visits to the gas station I had to make. The B7 still is no green-machine, but at least I am visiting the gas station much less. I think I am averaging about once a week with the B7 and with the M5 it was twice a week. On the highway I can get a little over 400 miles per tank with the B7, whereas with the 745 I could get about 525 miles. So in a long range race, don't bet against the "quarter to eight".

Price/Value
At this price level its all relative and all personal preference. The B7 is about $25,000 more expensive than a loaded up 750. But for that price you get more vehicle than a 760 for less money. You also get something that I think is more interesting. If you were to try to replicate the look and each wheel is really $4,000- thats $16,000 right there on wheels- add in another few thousand for the rear spoiler plus installation and tires, etc and you are close on the looks without the massive engine or incredible suspension tuning (literally, its so good that it almost defies credibility). There are competitors of course, but I want BMW peace of mind (safety/ reliability/ their standing behind their product). Granted, I am now vested in this so take my opinion in that context, but while the price is high, I say its worth it. Though I do think the vehicle will depreciate and my suggestion is for most people to lease it.

Conclusion: Ultimate Q-Ship
This is the right car for a driving enthusiast to take on a road trip with his or her family. It gives the right feelings to the driver, yet is never taxing to drive and allows the family to ride along in comfort, luxury and safety. A recent USA Today story listed the statistically safest cars on the road today (based on fatalities in the cars) and it named the 7 Series as the safest car. This is no doubt a combination of the excellent active and passive safety built in to the 7 Series, but also a reflection of the kinds of drivers drawn to the cars- the Nissan 350 Z was one of the least safe, not because it is inherently unsafe but because its drivers tended to be more aggressive with it and its a smaller car. Never the less, B7 surrounds you with a very substantial and safe feeling, which is appreciated when one has their family riding with them. Additionally, I was worried about the shorter wheel base 7 series- particularly having my kids kicking our seat backs. It turns out the short wheel base 7 is just right for us- there is enough room for everyone to get comfortable and still feel intimate and to allow my wife to reach back there if needed.

So what I find with the Alpina B7 is a vehicle that is extremely refined, smooth, powerful, comfortable yet nimble and fun to drive for a vehicle its size. It is relaxing to drive when one is in the mood to be cosseted home and exciting when one triggers the monster V8 simply by how much throttle you apply. All of this is done while blending into the sea of black BMWs where I live. I find the black/ crema to be a great combination for this car because the black blends in and the crema helps brighten up an interior that is (IMHO) too dark in all black. Most people have no idea what it is- just like the M cars used to be. The Alpina B7 is not a car for anyone, it’s a car for those who know what it is and appreciate what it brings to the table. Its not a big E60 M5, instead its a super-dooper 7. Just what I wanted in my family daily driver- something that does not get me noticed but yet is special and fun to drive but is also relaxing when the traffic occurs. The automotive version of “to speak softly and carry a big stick.” With the B7 you could go far, very very far- and do it in comfort safety and style. The car is simply spectacular.