Try as it might, the BMW M3 Coupe can't lose the Alpina B7. The two of us are an unlikely automotive pair, playing cat-and-mouse on one long road to nowhere deep in the reaches of an unincorporated area of the California coastal mountains. The air is cool and the canyons are mostly quiet. Only the sound of two wailing V8s breaks the silence.
While the M3 dives into the corners with confidence, the B7 launches out with ferocious conviction. The M3 pulls energetically on the short straights, but the B7 puts its power down with resolve and steadily reels the smaller coupe back in. Even mid-corner, when the M3 is in perfect step, the B7 clenches a slightly wider line but still holds its ground.
We've been at this game for more than an hour, and neither of us is willing to raise a white flag. Only the illumination of the low fuel light in the smaller coupe has us calling it quits. Want to learn what it takes to harass an M3 owner?
Headquartered in Germany, Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH ("Alpina") has been working its magic on BMW models since the 1970s, and while most think of Alpina as an aftermarket tuner, the company is officially recognized as an automobile manufacturer. From its earliest days, Alpina models have been noted for their factory-quality engine, suspension and cosmetic upgrades, and the company is credited with offering high-performance street variants of BMW models even before the automaker's own Motorsport "M" Division jumped into the game.
Thirty-five years later, I'm sitting behind the wheel of an F01 B7 BiTurbo – Alpina's latest creation, based on BMW's current 7 Series platform. Mirroring the various chassis and powertrain options offered by BMW, the Alpina B7 can be had in standard- or long-wheelbase, and with rear- or all-wheel drive (xDrive). The sportiest variant of the four is the short-wheelbase, rear-wheel-drive model. That would be the Alpina Blue Metallic model we're piloting.
The heart of every Alpina model is the hand-crafted engine, and the B7 is fitted with a highly modified version of BMW's N63, the all-alloy direct-injected 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 currently fitted to the BMW 750i. Craftsmen at Alpina's facility in Buchloe, Germany are tasked with opening it up and performing a delicate surgery that includes a slew of upgrades and enhancements for the entire powertrain. High-performance pistons are inserted into the block and the cylinder heads are reinforced to withstand the additional stress from a higher compression ratio. A larger intercooler, with a 35-percent increase in surface area, is fitted to lower intake temperatures. An additional radiator lowers coolant temperatures, and external coolers are added for the engine and transmission oil. The electric fan is also upgraded to increase airflow through the new high-performance components. To move more oxygen through the engine, larger turbochargers (the vanes measure 44 mm in diameter) are fitted to keep the whole package running smoothly and Alpina engine management software increases boost to 14.5 psi and recalibrates both stability- and traction-control with more aggressive settings.
While the 750i's N63 develops 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, the modified twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 in the Alpina B7 jumps to 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque – raising specific output to 115 horsepower per liter.
Accommodating the power is Alpina's "Switch-Tronic" gearbox (a modified ZF wet six-speed automatic). Tiny leather-covered buttons on the back of the steering wheel allow manual gear selection (right side "+" and left side "-") and the driveline, from driveshaft to differential, has also been strengthened.
The suspension architecture utilizes BMW's Dynamic Damping Control and Active Roll Stabilization, as found on other 7 Series models, but Alpina wouldn't be expected to leave it alone. The automaker increases spring rates by 20 percent and lowers ride height by about half-an-inch overall. From the cockpit, the driver is able to select from three suspension setups: Comfort, Normal and Sport. Sport-Plus mode shifts the Dynamic Stability Control system into a more aggressive Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) setting, allowing more slip at the driven wheels and reducing the interference of the traction control system.
Massive brakes (sourced from the heavier armored 7 Series "Protection" model) measure 14.72 inches in diameter up front and 14.57 inches in the rear. The standard wheels are Alpina-designed 21-inch alloys (the valve stem is in the center, thanks to a single hollow spoke) wearing 245/35ZR21 tires up front and 285/30ZR21 tires in the rear (xDrive and long-wheelbase models are fitted with 245/50ZR18 tires on all four corners). The curb weight of this rear-wheel-drive standard-wheelbase model, according to Alpina, is 4,564 pounds and opting for the long-wheelbase xDrive model causes the curb weight to balloon to 4,861 pounds. Regardless, the standard B7's weight distribution is a fairly balanced at 51.4:48.6 front-to-rear.
