Archive 2 » View All » Sedans » 2007 BMW ALPINA B7

2007 BMW ALPINA B7

Description/Highlights, Options/Features/Technical Specifications/Pricing and Heritage

ALPINA – a name famous in Europe and the wider world for putting a particular performance accent on BMWs, though not yet so well-known in North America. BMW – a name famous in all the world for motor vehicles of performance, quality, luxury and safety.

The two companies, both at home in the German state of Bavaria, have a long history of working together to produce special BMW automobiles. Burkard Bovensiepen, son of the founder of ALPINA Business Machines and an enthusastic racing driver/engineer, began his automotive career path in 1961 by developing a dual-carburetor setup for the just-introduced BMW 1500 sedan. It was a predictive beginning: to take an already fine-performing BMW (which also just happened to be a practical sedan) and making it perform even better.

By 1964, BMW had officially recognized ALPINA’s contribution to BMW performance and offered warranty coverage on ALPINA-equipped BMW vehicles. Not long thereafter, Burkard Bovensiepen founded the ALPINA company – ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen KG – that continues today, creating special versions of BMW automobiles that offer a particular brand of performance for discriminating auto enthusiasts. Yet outside the circle of dedicated BMW enthusiasts, ALPINA has kept a low profile in North America. In addition to racing versions of BMW, ALPINA has developed a progression of BMW-based cars based on 3, 5, 6, 8, Z4 and Z8 models and offered them on a limited-production basis. Up to now, the only BMW ALPINA model offered by BMW of North America has been the ROADSTER V8, a special interpretation of the Z8 Roadster of which 450 examples were delivered to U.S. customers in 2002-03.

Now comes the next manifestation of the unique BMW-ALPINA synergy: the B7, based on the BMW 7 Series luxury sedan. Currently, BMW offers ultra-performance models of its 3, 5, 6 and Z4 Series developed by BMW M, BMW’s own performance subsidiary. BMW M’s automobiles have specific performance character, typified by high-revving engines and manual or sequential-manual (SMG) transmissions. For an ultra-performance version of the 7 Series – a platform that is defined by lavish luxury and generous interior space and offered only with an automatic transmission – something other than “M” performance character was called for.

In recent models, ALPINA has concentrated on delivering very high levels of performance with moderate rpm ranges and automatic transmission. Most appropriately, the new BMW ALPINA B7 applies this philosophy to the 7 Series to produce a luxury sedan of stunning performance. “A 7 Series Beyond,” one might say.

ALPINA is located in the small Bavarian city of Buchloe, some 50 miles southwest of Munich, BMW’s headquarters city and the capital of Bavaria. For more information on ALPINA the company, see the accompanying release.

ALPINA B7: a “7” of unique character

BMW itself offers a 7 Series model powered by a 438-horsepower V-12 engine, the 760Li; this is indeed a high-performance car, combining the velvety and high-torque power delivery of a 12-cylinder engine with ultimate luxury. For an unabashedly sporty interpretation of the 7 Series, ALPINA chose the path of supercharging BMW’s V-8 engine.

By selecting as the basis for the B7 the BMW 750i, with its V-8 engine and regular-wheelbase platform, ALPINA could achieve a vehicle weight some 400 pounds lighter than that of the 760Li – a benefit in terms of agility and maneuverability. Then, to attain a power target of 500 hp, ALPINA added a supercharger to the V-8 engine, which adds little weight but lots of horses.

The supercharged engine: V-8 + Valvetronic + Kompressor = 500 hp

At the time ALPINA began development of the B7 engine, BMW’s V-8 engine with Valvetronic – the unique system that regulates power output by varying intake-valve lift – was at 4.4-liter displacement, not the 4.8 liters of today’s 750i. From this basis, which delivered 325 hp @ 6100 rpm and 330 lb-ft. of torque @ 3600 rpm, ALPINA took on the challenge of supercharging a Valvetronic engine, something that had never been done before. To tell something of the ending before the story, the achievement is impressive: 500 hp @ 5500 rpm and 516 lb-ft. @ 4250 rpm. In German, such figures qualify as bullig and no translation is necessary to get the meaning.

Both supercharging (in German, a supercharger is a Kompressor) and turbocharging have their attractions as power-enhancers for combustion engines. A supercharger is mechanically driven by the engine; a turbocharger is driven by streaming exhaust gas. In this case the supercharger’s salient points include lag-free response, relative quietness, low exhaust back pressure and the ability to run the engine at part load (i.e. most of the time) just as it runs without the supercharger: with Valvetronic regulating its output. These last two factors speak for good efficiency and reasonable fuel economy in everyday driving.

Accomplishing the basic goals – this high efficiency under part-load conditions but a high level of boost for maximum power – required far-reaching development of the engine’s electronic controls and a new concept in power regulation, namely:

  • A pressure regulator before the supercharger, which maintains pressure before the engine throttle at atmospheric.
  • A throttle between supercharger and engine that holds pressure in the intake manifold at 50 mbar (1.5 in. Hg or 0.735 psi) less than atmospheric.

These two elements allow the engine to be controlled by Valvetronic up to the point where the intake valves have reached their maximum opening via Valvetronic; it also helps minimize any pumping losses in the supercharger, which under these conditions is essentially “coasting.” At this point, the pressure regulator before the supercharger becomes the engine throttle, responding to the driver’s accelerator-pedal input and regulating the supercharger’s boost accordingly. Sensing and regulation functions to execute this strategy are included in the engine’s electronic control system. This entire system was developed, and is patented, by ALPINA.

The supercharger itself is a new development. It’s of the Radial or Nautilus type, not a brand-new concept as such but now appearing on an automotive engine for the first time. It had been patented by ZF in the 1980s, but only recently have metallurgical advances made this actual vehicle application possible. (In connection with the B7, ALPINA has several patents pending.) At full boost, the supercharger delivers a positive induction pressure of 0.8 bar.

Other modifications to the powertrain are extensive:

  • Crankshaft and connecting rods strengthened.
  • New pistons for lower compression ratio: 9.0:1, vs. original 10:5:1. This is a customary modification for supercharged engines.
  • Special cylinder-head gaskets.
  • Additional belt drive for supercharger.
  • Centrifugal clutch at supercharger; clutch begins to engage at an engine speed of 1100 rpm.
  • Planetary reduction gear at supercharger input, which drives the supercharger at 15 times engine speed.
  • Fuel pressure regulated according to supercharger boost.
  • Higher-capacity fuel injectors.
  • Specific sparkplugs; heat range differs from original plugs.
  • Coolant-to-oil cooler for transmission replaced with air-to-oil cooler. All heat exchangers are included in a complex assembly that includes the engine radiator, supercharger intercooler; engine, transmission and power-steering oil coolers; and air-conditioning condenser.
  • Entirely new exhaust system that –
  • employs catalytic converters with metallic catalysts, more costly than conventional ceramic ones, to fit into the available space while allowing the engine’s higher gas flow
  • controls low-frequency noise via a close-off flap on the inboard resonator at the rear (turning it into a Helmholz resonator)
  • keeps noise to legal limits, yet also achieves pleasing high-performance sound
  • minimizes back pressure at high power outputs; 70-mm pipes vs. Series’ 55 mm
  • protects underbody components from undue heat exposure.

There is a clear subjective difference between an M-type exhaust note and that of the B7. Being high-revving, M engines emit a relatively high-pitched exhaust sound. The ALPINA B7 engine, with its lower-rpm range and emphasis on big torque, just as naturally – and despite the measures to keep low-frequency sound in check – puts out a lower-pitched sound. Commenting on this sound in everyday driving, the April 4, ’04 issue of Germany’s auto motor und sport magazine called it “Gently murmuring, acoustically not unlike a costly Riva boat, the V-8 pulls away and shows with great refinement that there’s also driving pleasure at less than 500 hp.”

Predictably, on-the-road performance results from the intense development effort are dramatic when the full 500 hp are put to use: 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds (preliminary data for U.S. version) and a maximum speed of 186 mph – unlike regular-production and even M BMWs, the B7 does have an electronic speed limiter. And for those times when one is not able to utilize the full 186 mph or run the stopwatch from 0 to 60, the supercharged V-8 puts down abundant thrust in the ranges where one drives much of the time: from as low as 1500 rpm, it can deliver nearly 300 lb-ft. of torque.

Fine-tuning the 7 Series chassis

Using the already advanced and sharp-handling 7 Series chassis, ALPINA fine-tuned the hardware to the B7’s higher performance level. While retaining the regular models’ Active Roll Stabilization – which counters body roll or “lean” in corners via electronics and hydraulics – ALPINA’s engineers, working with BMW and tire supplier Michelin, adopted a firmer calibration of springs and shock absorbers. They also chose the European 760i’s brakes, which have larger dimensions than those of the 750i:

  • Front – 374-mm diameter x 36-mm thickness, vs. 348 x 30 (14.7 x 1.42 in., vs. 13.7 x 1.18)
  • Rear – 370-mm diameter x 24-mm thickness, vs. 345 x 24 (14.6 x 0.94 in., vs. 13.6 x 0.94).

And, where the rubber meets the road, ALPINA topped even the 2006 BMW 760i’s standard 20-in. wheels and tires. Right from the days of its participation in developing the lightweight BMW 3.0 CS of the early 1970s, ALPINA has a long tradition of radial-spoke wheels; this carries on in the B7’s massive 21-in. wheels of 9.0-in. front/10.5-in. rear width with the traditional count of 20 slender spokes. These provide for outstanding ventilation of the big brake rotors, and carry Z-rated performance tires of 245/35 front / 285/30 rear dimensions.

One “final” B7 measure, adoption of the 760Li final drive, completes ALPINA’s powertrain and chassis development. ALPINA engineered some strengthening modifications to this differential unit, which have now flowed into BMW’s own production of that model. And yet even with this strengthening, the supercharged V-8’s torque is so massive that it is electronically limited in the transmission’s bottom two gears.

Exterior features: the ALPINA touch

Through the years, ALPINA’s exterior modifications have always stated “performance” but never screamed it. So it is with the B7, whose ALPINA exterior is distinguished from that of a regular-production 750i by –

  • A special front bumper/spoiler ensemble
  • The 20-spoke ALPINA wheels and their low-profile tires
  • Standard high-gloss Shadowline trim on the side-window framing
  • A special rear bumper ensemble
  • A rear spoiler that integrates perfectly with the 7 Series’ body lines
  • Availability of the traditional ALPINA Blue metallic paint color
  • ALPINA B7 badging.

The effect is one of subtle performance emphasis, fully appropriate to the 7 Series’ elegant and substantial presence but leaving no doubt that this is a special performance 7.

Inside the B7: special instrumentation and controls, exclusive ALPINA choices

Any 7 Series BMW offers its driver and passengers lavish luxury, fine materials and tasteful design. To this sumptuous ambiance, ALPINA adds its own touches, both ergonomic and esthetic; the level of regular-production BMW standard equipment has been raised considerably as well.

Special ALPINA features. First and foremost, it’s performance that characterizes the B7. And once seated behind the special ALPINA steering wheel, the B7 driver is quickly and keenly aware of this emphasis.

Upon stepping in over the handsome B7 doorsill trims and setting his or her foot on the fine floormat with its ALPINA logo, the driver can assess an instrument cluster with the traditional ALPINA Blue as its background color and ALPINA lettering at bottom right. Four readings from the iDrive system’s On-board Computer can be called up conveniently via a button on the turn-signal stalk: remaining fuel in tank, range on fuel, distance to destination and a digital display of current vehicle speed.

Other distinguishing features of the B7’s instrument cluster include longer, red pointers with blue centers; deletion of the 7 Series’ chrome dial rings; a 200-mph/320-km/h speedometer scale; and constant display of the current transmission gear, even in the automatic mode.

The steering wheel itself presents distinctive visual character and function: in its center, the ALPINA logo; on its rim Lavalina leather and special stitching, plus symbols for the SWITCH-TRONIC transmission’s upshift and downshift buttons. These “+” and “-” inscriptions are in ALPINA Blue, and denote the actual locations of the shift buttons on the wheel’s forward side (away from the driver).

Interior upholstery and trim selections consist of the four standard BMW colors for the Nasca leather and a choice of American Walnut or high-gloss Ash wood trim; a B7 in ALPINA Blue exterior color will also include ALPINA’s stunning Myrtle wood interior trim.

Enhanced standard features. The B7 interior has been upgraded to essentially 760Li (V-12) level with a wide range of features that are optional on the V-8 750i.

These include –

  • Comfort Access – keyless entry, starting and locking.
  • Soft-close doors and trunk – the user closes the door or trunklid gently; an electric mechanism draws it fully in.
  • Automatic trunk opening/closing – lid opens fully upon actuation of any of the releases; closes when button on lid itself is pressed.
  • Power sunshades on the rear window and rear door windows.
  • Active Ventilation on both front seats – fans inside seats gently blow air upward through internal web and perforated leather to enhance comfort.
  • Active Support on driver’s seat – creates a subtle, cyclical motion of the seat cushion to help relieve fatigue during extended trips.
  • Heated rear seats.
  • Logic7 audio system with 13 speakers, Digital Sound Processing, Surround Sound simulation, aluminum-membrane speaker construction and other audiophile features.
  • SIRIUS Satellite Radio, including a lifetime subscription. Currently optional in all other 7 Series models.
  • In-dash 6-disc CD changer.
  • Alcantara headliner – among regular 7 Series models, available only in 760Li.
  • Enhanced windshield sealing – adopted because of the B7’s higher maximum speed, but now present in all 7 Series models.

These amenities are in addition to the very extensive standard equipment of even the most accessible 7 Series models, the 750i; for a complete listing, see the standard & optional features listing included with this presskit.

Available options: so much is standard, this list is short

With so much of the equipment that’s optional on or in the V-8 7 Series models and standard in the V-12, the list of available options for the BMW ALPINA B7 is understandably short. Here, briefly described, are the Package and stand-alone options that are available:

Rear Entertainment Package, offering rear-seat passengers their own entertainment and feature-control options. Includes a color monitor, 6-disc DVD changer and two headphone jacks; when allowed by the driver, rear passengers can operate certain iDrive functions via their own controller.

BMW Night Vision. Recently introduced in other BMW models; improves the driver’s vision at twilight and night. An infrared camera captures the view up to about 500 meters/1640 ft. ahead of the vehicle; the resulting image is displayed on the central iDrive monitor. The warmer the object, the brighter it appears; thus human beings and animals are visually emphasized.

In addition to its known attributes, BMW has expanded Long-range Infrared technology in several ways:

  • The camera’s 36-degree view is greater than heretofore employed in similar systems.
  • Like the 7 Series’ standard Xenon Adaptive headlights, the monitor image follows road curves.
  • For higher speeds, digital zoom can be activated.
  • Brightness, contrast and image characteristics can be adjusted by the user.

Thanks to the system’s excellent range, the driver can be aware of hazards (and living creatures!) in the road ahead a good 11 sec. sooner at 70 mph than might otherwise be the case.

Active Cruise Control. Employs a radar sensor unit at the front of the vehicle to sense the speed of vehicles traveling ahead, and accordingly adjusts the BMW driver’s speed to help maintain a safe following distance.

High Definition Radio. BMW is the first automaker to offer this feature, which provides digital-quality sound on FM and improves AM sound to quality approaching that of conventional FM.

In contrast to Satellite Radio, HD Radio is broadcast from terrestrial towers by the radio stations that offer it, and requires no subscription. The compressed digital signals promise the possibility of more stations within the bandwidth used by one station today. Presently, some hundreds of stations are broadcasting digitally, and the number is expected to grow.

High-gloss Ash interior trim, available at no extra cost.

Rear-seat side-impact airbags, offered as an option in all models so that customers can decide whether or not to equip their vehicle with this feature.

BMW ALPINA B7: unique offering from a unique combination of talents

The interaction of BMW and ALPINA, the wide-ranging development program that has transformed a 7 Series BMW into the ALPINA B7, the carefully composed attributes and features that Munich and Buchloe have blended into the regal “big BMW”: nothing would guarantee successful results were it not for the long and illustrious traditions of both companies and their history of synergy in developing performance vehicles of distinctive personality and capability. The success of this collaboration on the B7 is reflected in this straightforward caption from the authoritative German magazine auto motor und sport in its April 28, ’04 issue: “ALPINA B7 in action: The upper-class feeling is paired with super-sports-car dynamics.”

2007 BMW ALPINA B7 Product Highlights

General

  • Latest in a long line of special performance-luxury versions of BMW production models by ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH+Co. KG, a family-held company located in Buchloe, Bavaria, Germany
  • Second BMW ALPINA model to be marketed officially in U.S. by BMW of North America; first was the BMW ALPINA ROADSTER V8 of 2002-03
  • Based on BMW 750i, a model of BMW’s 7 Series luxury sedans
  • Powered by 4.4-liter, 500-hp supercharged V-8 engine developed by ALPINA on basis of BMW’s Valvetronic V-8
  • Produced in small numbers by BMW’s Dingolfing, Germany factory and the ALPINA facility in Buchloe
  • Production for U.S. began in November 2006; at BMW centers in early 2007

What’s new/features that distinguish ALPINA B7 from BMW 750i

Performance & efficiency

  • 4.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine – 500 hp, 516 lb-ft. torque (750i: 4.8-liter V-8, 360 hp, 360 lb-ft. torque)
  • Radial supercharger is a new development of ALPINA, offered in a passenger car for the first time
  • 6-speed automatic transmission with SWITCH-TRONIC, a system of sequential manual shifting developed by ALPINA

Handling, ride & braking

  • Specially calibrated 7 Series aluminum suspension system, with Active Roll Stabilization
  • Larger-dimensioned 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes
  • 21-in. wheels and Z-rated performance tires in differentiated front/rear sizes
  • Tire Pressure Monitor, a new system of monitoring air pressure in each individual tire; also now appearing on other BMW models

Exterior design & function

  • ALPINA front bumper/spoiler ensemble
  • ALPINA rear bumper ensemble, trunklid spoiler
  • ALPINA B7 badging
  • Exterior paint selection includes ALPINA Blue, a traditional color offering of ALPINA vehicles
  • Radial-spoke alloy wheels are also a long-standing ALPINA tradition

Ergonomics, luxury & convenience

  • ALPINA doorsill trims and floor mats
  • Unique instrument cluster
  • Special Lavalina leather-wrapped steering wheel with SWITCH-TRONIC shift buttons
  • Nasca leather upholstery, perforated for Active Ventilation of front seats
  • With ALPINA Blue exterior, interior includes ALPINA Myrtle wood interior trim; otherwise, American Walnut wood trim is standard, high-gloss Ash also available
  • Standard SIRIUS Satellite Radio, including lifetime subscription
  • Additional standard equipment over BMW 750i also includes Comfort Access, Soft Close Trunk, driver’s seat with Active Support feature, rear heated seats, Alcantara headliner, power rear-window and rear door-window sunshades, Shadowline exterior trim, Logic7 Premium Sound System

Safety & security

  • Front-seat front- and side-impact airbags
  • Front- and rear-seat Head Protection System (AHPS II)
  • Active Knee Protection (inflatable knee protection for front occupants)
  • Available rear-seat side-impact airbags

Safety & security (cont.)

  • Active front head restraints
  • Advanced Crash Safety Management (ACSM) for deployment of safety systems
  • Battery Safety Terminal to reduce likelihood of vehicle fire in severe accident impacts
  • Coded Driveaway Protection (rolling-code immobilzer system for theft deterrence)

Options & packages

  • Rear-seat Entertainment Package
  • BMW Night Vision
  • Active Cruise Control
  • Rear-seat side-impact airbags
  • High Definition Radio

Performance & efficiency

4.4-liter supercharged DOHC (4-cam) 32-valve V-8 engine

Engine features:

  • Radial supercharger & intercooler for pressurized air
  • Higher-capacity engine oil cooler/supercharger cooler
  • Valvetronic system (variable intake-valve lift)
  • Double VANOS steplessly variable valve timing
  • Steplessly variable induction system
  • Digital Motor Electronics engine-management system with additional supercharger-related functions & adaptive knock control
  • Special exhaust system with metallic catalysts
  • 6-speed SWITCH-TRONIC automatic transmission with: Adaptive Transmission Control (ATC)
  • Normal, Sport & Manual modes
  • Separate oil cooler
  • Strengthened 760i differential w/ passive cooler & special bearings
  • Liquid-cooled alternator
  • Handling, ride & braking
  • Aluminum double-pivot strut-type front suspension
  • Aluminum 4-link Integral rear suspension
  • Aluminum front & rear subframes
  • Active Roll Stabilization (ARS) front & rear
  • Twin-tube gas-pressure shock absorbers
  • ALPINA Sport-tuned suspension calibration
  • Vehicle-speed-sensitive variable-assist, variable-ratio rack-&-pinion power steering
  • 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes with larger dimensions
  • Electromechanical parking brake
  • Automatic Hold
  • Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) encompassing:
  • Antilock Braking System (ABS)
  • Dynamic Traction Control
  • Cornering/braking stability enhancement
  • Electronic brake proportioning
  • 21 x 9.0 front/21 x 10.5 rear ALPINA CLASSIC cast-alloy wheels
  • 235/35ZR-21 front / 285/30ZR-21 rear performance tires
  • Tire Pressure Monitor

Exterior design & function

  • Body-color bumpers with hydraulic energy absorbers & (front only) compressible elements
  • Aluminum hood & fenders
  • Xenon Adaptive headlights with dynamic auto-leveling
  • High-intensity headlight cleaning system
  • Halogen ellipsoid front foglights
  • ALPINA front bumper/spoiler ensemble
  • Choice of standard or metallic paints including ALPINA Blue
  • Rain-sensing windshield wipers with: Electronically controlled reversible motor
  • Driver’s-side sweep regulated for optimum coverage
  • Variable parking position to reduce blade wear
  • Articulated passenger-side wiper arm
  • Single-wipe control
  • Washer jets in wiper arms, heated fluid
  • Heated wiper parking area
  • Illuminated exterior door handles & ground illumination
  • Park Distance Control with graphic display
  • High-gloss Satin Chrome trim on side-window framing
  • ALPINA rear spoiler
  • ALPINA rear bumper ensemble
  • ALPINA B7 badging
  • Ergonomics, luxury & convenience
  • Vehicle & Key Memory
  • Comfort Access with multi-funtion remote control: Selective unlocking
  • Keyless entry & locking
  • Remote trunk release, window & moonroof opening
  • Soft-close doors
  • ALPINA doorsill trim
  • Dual power/heated auto-dimming interior & exterior mirrors
  • Automatic tilt-down of right exterior mirror for visibility of low obstructions when backing up
  • BMW Universal Transceiver (3-function garage-door opener)
  • Comprehensive interior lighting system: Front & rear left/right reading lamps
  • Footwell lighting front & rear
  • Exit/entry lighting on interior door panels
  • Comprehensive interior lighting system (cont.):BMW Ambiance Lighting, front, rear & on door panelsS
  • Illuminated visor vanity mirrors front/rear
  • LED “atmosphere” lamps in C-pillars
  • Illuminated front console compartment
  • Locking glove compartment with rechargeable take-out flashlight
  • Climate Comfort infrared-heat-reducing windshield
  • ALPINA power tilt/telescopic sport steering wheel, wrapped in Lavalina leather, with fingertip cruise, audio & phone controls, programmable function button, SWITCH-TRONIC shift buttons, auto tilt-away for entry & exit
  • 20-way power front Multi-function Seats, including articularted upper backrests, passenger’s seat memory, active head restraints with adjustable side support
  • Memory system for driver’s seat, steering wheel & exterior mirrors
  • Active Support feature on driver’s seat
  • Active Ventilation feature, both front seats
  • 3-stage front-seat heating with fast heating & balance control
  • 3-stage rear-seat heating
  • Climate-controlled front console compartment with coin holder, trunk-release lockout, illumination & provision for phone cradle
  • Unique instrument cluster with ALPINA blue background, red dial pointers; instant digital display of fuel remaining, range on fuel, distance to destination & current vehicle speed; variable tachometer warning segment
  • Check Control vehicle monitor system
  • iDrive system with 8 menus & controller, including GPS Navigation & Voice Command
  • Programmable cruise control
  • Active Cruise Control – OPT
  • Nasca leather upholstery, perforated for Active Ventilation
  • American Walnut wood interior trim
  • High-gloss Ash wood interior trim – NC
  • ALPINA Myrtle wood interior trim – NC

General

  • Curb weight, lb.4476
  • Weight distribution, front/rear, %51.0/49.0
  • Wheelbase, in. 117.7
  • Track, front/rear, in. 62.3/62.2
  • Length, in. 198.4
  • Width, in. 74.9
  • Height, in. 58.1
  • Body Type 4-door sedan
  • Shoulder room, front/rear, in.59.3/58.7
  • Head room, front/rear, in.39.2/38.5
  • Leg room, front/rear41.3/37.2
  • EPA interior volume, cu ft.104.0
  • EPA cargo volume, cu ft.18.0
  • Engine type DOHC 32-valve (4-cam) V-8
  • Engine features Supercharged & intercooled, steplessly variable induction system, Valvetronic variable intake-valve lift & Double VANOS variable intake- & exhaust-valve timing
  • Cylinder block & headsAluminum
  • Bore x stroke, mm/in.92.0 x 82.7/3.62 x 3.26
  • Displacement, cc/cu in.4398/268
  • Compression ratio9.0:1
  • Power @ rpm, hp500 @ 5500
  • Torque @ rpm, lb-ft.516 @ 4250
  • Engine-management system Motronic ME 9.2.1.
  • Fuel requirement Premium unleaded
  • Fuel capacity, U.S. gal.23.3
  • Battery capacity, amp-hr.90
  • Alternator output, amp./W180/2520
  • Drive system Front engine/rear drive
  • Automatic transmission ZF 6 HP 26, 6-speed with external oil cooler,
  • SWITCH-TRONIC shift system & modified internal components

Chassis

Body/frame constructionUnitized all-steel structure with aluminum hood & front fenders. Front suspensionStrut-type in aluminum; double-pivot lower arms, coil springs, twin-tube gas-pressure shock absorbers, Active Roll Stabilization, aluminum subframe; ALPINA sport calibration. Rear suspension4-link Integral suspension in aluminum, coil springs, twin-tube gas-pressure shock absorbers, Active Roll Stabilization, aluminum subframe;

ALPINA sport calibration

Steering type Rack & pinion, vehicle-speed-sensitive power assist & variable ratio, with ALPINA oil cooler. 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes: Diameter x thickness, mm/in.374 x 36/14.7 x 1.42 front/370 x 24/14.6 x 0.94 rear. Wheels Cast alloy, 21 x 9.0 front/21 x 10.5 rear. Tires Performance, 245/35ZR-21 front / 285/30ZR-21 rear. Stability-enhancement systemDynamic Stability Control (DSC), including Dynamic Traction Control, antilock braking (ABS), Dynamic Brake Control & cornering/braking stability enhancement 1

Performance data

  • Acceleration, 0-60 mph, sec. 4.8
  • Top speed, mph186
  • EPA est. MPG, city/highway15/23

– Due to low-profile tires, please note: wheels, tires and suspension parts are more susceptible to road hazard and consequential damages. Performance tires are not recommended for driving in snow and ice conditions.

– BMW AG test results. Actual acceleration results may vary depending on specification of vehicle; road and environmental conditions; testing procedures and driving style. These results should be used for comparison only, and verification should not be attempted on public roads. BMW urges you to obey all posted speed limits and to please wear your safety belt at all times

Scroll to Top