BMW ALPINA B7

The BMW Alpina B7 is a standalone model that has spearheaded the BMW Alpina collection for half a decade and will continue to do so for the model year 2022. Instead of various trim structures, the 2022 BMW Alpina B7 gets just one engine option, while personalization takes precedence in the design of your B7. Various upholsteries, paint options, and alloy choices make up a part of the buying process, making the premium you pay for the BMW Alpina B7 worth it.

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The 2022 BMW Alpina B7 has a few different options to choose from in every part of the car, including suspension, seating, exteriors, etc. If you are looking at an Alpina B7 to add to your collection or drive it around thrice a week, we’d recommend you pick the Alpina Sport suspension to compliment the tuned engine and quick-shifting transmission for a truly immersive and luxurious experience. 

Release Date

We expected the newest version of the Alpina B7 to be released in the latter half of 2021. But as of June 2021, the 2022 BMW Alpina B7 is already up for sale.

The combustion engine has come leaps and bounds since its invention in 1876, but the primary principle of more gas to more weight has remained unchanged, or still intact rather. Pushing around 4,000-pound luxury sedans does come at a hefty fuel cost as the 2022 BMW Alpina B7 offers 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg out on the highway. This results in up to 20 mpg combined. In tandem with the 20.6-gallon fuel tank, the BMW Alpina B7 offers the longest range on a full tank of gas. 

Surprisingly enough, the 2021 Audi S8 and Maybach S 560 post poorer figures than the Alpina B7 and the Maserati Quattroporte. The S8 is the thirstiest of the lot, offering only 16 mpg on city roads and highways combined. Even with the largest gas tank in the segment, it fails to produce good range figures. The Maybach S 560 is in the lower half of the economy in the segment, although it isn’t far behind the Alpina B7, and the sonorous Quattroporte is the most efficient of the lot, offering segment-best figures in both city and highway conditions, and a combined mpg figure of 24, which is more than what the Audi S8 offers on the highway.

The aggressive engines and lightning-quick acceleration times do their best to make you forget that you’re dealing with luxury sedans and not rapid sports cars built to take on the track. The levels of luxury available in these cars differ by a fair degree, with the Maybach S 560 and the BMW Alpina B7 topping the opulence charts.

Unlike the Maybach and Audi S8 sedans, the BMW Alpina B7 offers conventionally bespoke luxury, in the form of hand-stitched leather of the highest quality, top-notch material use, and typical Alpina touches to the infotainment and digital information cluster. All in all, Alpina ensures you experience total exclusivity in the cabin of the 2022 BMW Alpina B7.

The interior room is more than abundant when so much space is taken and split across only two seating rows. All the vehicles in the segment offer more than 40” of legroom in both seating rows, with the BMW Alpina B7 interior offering the roomiest rear seat with 44.4” of legroom. However, luxury sedans don’t fare all that well in terms of headroom, as their low-slung body styles eat into the available space through sloping rooflines. Nevertheless, the reclined rear seat postures make it easier to live with the limited headroom. Standout interior features in the 2022 BMW Alpina B7:

• Enhanced digital displays
• Nappa leather upholstery and panel finishes
• ALPINA Piano Black Trim
• Illuminated door-sill finishers with ALPINA designation

2022 BMW Alpina B7 Infotainment 

The infotainment system in the 2022 BMW Alpina B7 looks slightly different from the one you would find in a standard BMW 7-Series, although only aesthetically. The iDrive system is borrowed from BMW and the displays are given a bit of Alpina flair, as the BMW red on the information cluster turns blue. Alpina also goes through the unnecessary effort of including some confusing gesture controls, but the full-color heads-up display makes up for the same. Highlights of the infotainment system include:

• Harman Kardon Surround Sound Audio System with amplifier and 16 speakers
• Anti-theft FM in-dash stereo with Radio Data System
• SiriusXM all-access subscription for 1 year
• 12.3" digital instrument cluster
• 10.25" central information display 
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

All four sedans in contention for the top spot in the luxury sedan segment have their own blend of luxury and looks for unmatched levels of road presence and recognisability. Despite the Alpina badging not being as known as the rest of the competition and their logos, the unmistakable BMW exterior is bound to spark some interest with Alpina lettering and badging on the vehicle.

Unlike the Audi S8, Maybach, and Maserati Quattroporte, the 2022 BMW Alpina B7 comes with an understated exclusivity. There are aesthetic features added by Alpina to the 7-Series silhouette but with functionality, such as the drag lifting aerodynamics kit.

The sedan with the bulkiest proportions is the 2021 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S 560, as seen in its segment topping curb weight, length, and height. It is only natural as the Maybach is the least dynamic of the four when it comes to driving. The refined dynamics of the 2022 BMW Alpina B7 are matched by the technological advancements in the Audi S8, and its rear-wheel steering. The longest wheelbase also goes the way of the Maybach as it is the most accommodating sedan, while the Quattroporte has more manageable dimensions that certainly make it a more lively car to drive, especially with its pure RWD drivetrain. Standout exterior features in the 2022 BMW Alpina B7:

• 20” Alpina alloys
• Power-folding, heated side mirrors
• Specially designed ALPINA front apron, rear diffuser, and rear spoiler
• ALPINA signature exhaust system with quad tailpipes
• Chrome accent finishes

The BMW 7-Series platform is a proven platform of sorts, with the same platform supporting one of their best-selling sedan models over the last decade. The underpinnings of the 2022 BMW Alpina B7 are already sturdy, while Alpina and BMW come together to really ensure safety is maintained with a host of safety features and driver assistance tech to help avoid collisions and mishaps of any kind. That being said, the sticker price of the vehicle, and the fact that it is custom-made, contribute to the lack of safety ratings as it wouldn’t be a budget-friendly affair - crash testing an Alpina B7. Noteworthy safety features include:

• Adaptive Brake Lights
• Active Protection System
• Battery Safety Terminal disconnect
• Parking Assistant Plus with Surround View Cameras with a 3-D view and Active Park Distance Control
• Frontal Collision Warning
• Active Blind Spot Detection
• Lane Departure Warning
• ACC w/ Stop & Go
• Active Lane Keeping Assistant w/side collision avoidance
• Steering & Traffic Jam Assistant
• Automatic Lane Change
• Evasion Assistant & Cross-traffic alert front and rear

2022 BMW Alpina B7 vs 2021 Audi S8

The luxury sedans on offer here are some of the most advanced in their fields, although they take very different approaches towards achieving the driving and luxury dynamics that they do. The Audi S8 utilizes advanced technology like their snappy quick Quattro AWD, and rear-wheel steering to achieve performance figures, while typical Audi fit and finish make up for the luxury levels you’d expect in this segment. 

The S8 and Alpina B7 sedans go head to head when it comes to performance in this segment, as both full-size Dans have sub 4 second 0 to 60 timings, not to mention similar agility and handling characteristics for their barge-like sizes.

2022 BMW Alpina B7 vs 2021 Maserati Quattroporte

The Maserati Quattroporte is significantly smaller than the full-size sedan in the BMW Alpina B7 but doesn’t compromise in terms of luxury. Offering one of the best sounding engines in the industry, the Maserati sedan epitomizes pure driving exhilaration with modern features for a very valuable purchase.

While the Maserati Quattroporte does have its own charm, the more exclusive Alpina B7 is faster, as well as more luxurious than the Quattroporte, although we wouldn’t dare speak ill about either one’s driving experience, as both bring different flavors of equal oomph to the fore. 

2022 BMW Alpina B7 vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S 560

The Alpina B7 sedan might boast exquisite craftsmanship and intricacy in its design, but the Maybach is a much more household name than Alpina when it comes to full-size luxury sedans. Apart from the clout, Mercedes-Benz provides futuristic luxury in their Maybach S-Class range, with regal levels of road presence through the smart and generous use of chrome.

Unlike the BMW Alpina B7, the S-Class range focuses on pure luxury and the ability to move around quick enough, and the new-gen Maybach S560 boasts one of the most modern interiors. It looks more tech-savvy than the Audi S8 due to the ambient lighting and overall design cues and continues to stay miles ahead of the competition. It offers interiors that should age like fine wine and will be interesting right up until the end of the current generation, which can’t be said for the simpler looking Alpina B7.

For those of you who enjoy the brilliance of driving a BMW, but also the opulence of a Maybach, the BMW Alpina B7 is here. The luxe sedan offers signature sportiness, courtesy of fine-tuned BMW driving dynamics, and the increased comfort and luxury of pure Nappa leather on almost every surface never goes amiss. All the pieces of comfort and luxury don’t deter the driving experience of the sedan, and the 2022 BMW Alpina B7 will probably outrun every car after a red light while keeping you in utmost comfort. Alpina engineers spruce up the 7-Series just enough to compete with the top-spec variants of the bestsellers, but that extra exuberance does come at a significantly higher cost. The B7 is more exclusive than your average Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class and has a hefty premium on its price tag.