Like a sport of ping pong, right now’s Good Value or No Cube B7 started with plenty of forwards and backwards. Alpina constructed its engine, which was despatched to BMW for set up, and the resultant automotive returned to Buchloe for last meeting. Let’s see how a lot forwards and backwards will probably be required in selecting its worth.
In the course of the Soviet Union days, westerners favored to “Russia-fy” Jap Bloc merchandise by describing them with a Western counterpart title to which “ski” was added on the finish. That’s how the Tupolev Tu-144 SST earned the nickname “Concordski.” If we follow that custom, we would name the 1972 GAZ-69 4X4 we checked out yesterday a “Jeepski.” At $7,000, most of you simply needed to name it too expensive because the GAZ fell in a 66 p.c No Cube loss.
If you wish to actually expertise capitalist decadence—and actually, who doesn’t—then the best choice is usually a range-topping sedan from both Mercedes-Benz or BMW. The Germans could not have a popularity for being wet-your-lederhosen humorous, nevertheless it’s past argument that they know the right way to make the fanciest of pants automobiles.
As we speak’s 2011 BMW Alpina B7 isn’t simply a type of decadent rides, its Alpina tuning massages the efficiency to even increased ranges than even BMW thought applicable for a automotive of this measurement and stature.
Primarily based on the F01/F02 7 Sequence, the B7 contains a pumped up version of BMW’s 4.4-liter S63 V8. Hand-built by Alpina with bigger turbos, revamped heads, and stronger pistons than the manufacturing facility mills, the B7 engines had been rated at a heady 500 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, a considerable bump over the BMW editions. Distinctive ECU coding made all that occur earlier within the rev vary too, making the B7 a completely totally different beast from its lesser brethren.
Constructing the B7 was a little bit of a chore for the businesses as as soon as Alpina completed bolting collectively the engines, these needed to be shipped to be shipped to the F01 manufacturing facility in Dingolfing for set up within the automobiles, and after these rolled off the road, they went again to Alpina’s manufacturing facility in Buchloe for the ending touches.
Different modifications on the B7 over the usual automobiles embody a strengthened ZF 6HP26 six-speed automated transmission, heftier drive and half-shafts, and larger brakes grabbed from the components bin of the massively heavy armored 760iL. Larger radiators and intercoolers assist maintain all the things from going vital within the drive-thru, and the entire thing is slathered with Alpina badges lest anybody query its provenance.
This Alpina Blue over black Lavalina leather-based and piano black trim L has 105,000 miles on the clock, and, based mostly on the images, it has little put on and tear to indicate for these miles. Along with the efficiency bone fides, the automotive options back-of-the-seat screens to stave off boredom for rear-seat passengers, whereas up within the entrance, there’s the usual—and execrable—iDrive system for front-seat infotainment.
Exterior, the automotive wears powder-coated Alpina wheels and rides on a lowered suspension. The previous are wrapped in comparatively recent Continental tires. In response to the vendor, the automotive is mechanically sound, struggling no sprint lights and having lately handed its smog check with flying colours. To realize these outcomes, it’s been maintained by what the vendor claims is a BMW Mastertech. The title is clear, and the automotive has a $16,800 price ticket.
The vendor is just taken with patrons with “money available,” and we now have to determine if $16,800 is an affordable amount of money for this huge Alpina. What’s your tackle this tuned touring sedan at that asking? Given the automotive’s presentation and mannequin’s historical past, does that appear truthful? Or does the popularity of BMWs of a sure age demand this automotive to go for a significantly decrease value of entry?
You determine!
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