There’s almost no denying the seduction of the ALPINA brand. It’s hard to explain it but there’s something wonderfully mesmerizing about ALPINAs, in a way that BMWs simply can’t be. Maybe it’s the power, maybe it’s the performance, maybe it’s the luxury or maybe it’s the way it combines all three into a perfectly cohesive, incredibly characterful package. While the ALPINA B7 is based on the BMW 7 Series, the Big 7’s got nothin’ on the ALPINA, in terms of desirability.

Automobile Magazine just spent a week with one and seems to feel the exact same way.

Packing an ALPINA-tuned variant of BMW’s 4.4 liter twin-turbocharged V8, the B7 makes a whopping 600 hp and 590 lb-ft of tarmac-torturing twist. How does ALPINA manage to squeeze that much power out of a V8 when BMW needs a twin-turbo V12 to make the same amount? New pistons, intercooler and a boatload more turbo boost, for starters. It’s not just a BMW 750i engine with a software tune. ALPINA gives it a comprehensive make over to make sure it not only delivers far more power but has sharp throttle response, little turbo lag and a great noise.

With all of that power being sent to four wheels, the ALPINA B7 is quoted at 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. If it were considered a true production BMW, it would be the fastest of all time, until the new M5 comes out. That’s blisteringly quick in a massive luxury sedan that can coddle four adult passengers in Gulfstream G650 levels of luxury. The way the ALPINA B7 accelerates is simply beyond belief. “Flattening the B7’s go pedal is awe-inspiring, like being hurled from an invisible trebuchet, the all-wheel-drive system laying down the prodigious torque as the car rockets away in a furious rush of boost and dust and echoing exhaust.” said Automobile Mag’s Arthur St. Antoine.

But it’s real party trick is its ability to blend that power, performance and sheer speed with impeccable luxury and a soft, comfortable ride. The B7 is truly a luxury vehicle, just one with the ability to embarrass sports cars in both a straight line and on twisty back roads.

[Source: Automobile Magazine]