First new BMW Alpina not for the likes of us
BMW might have chosen to go wild with its first Alpina - with the XB7 Manufaktur, it went the other way
The fate of Alpina has become an interesting sign of the times. For one of the most famed and respected tuners in the world to abruptly call it quits spoke volumes, Buchloe suggesting that everything from electrification to increasingly stringent legislation was becoming an insurmountable problem. Then there’s BMW’s takeover to consider. Can a mass market manufacturer really be trusted to be a considerate guardian of a brand that pointedly went its own way, almost no matter the triflingly small values that resulted?
Well, if BMW was concerned about the optics of the situation, it hasn’t let it show with the very first Alpina introduced under its ownership. Granted, the Alpina XB7 Manufaktur is a run-out special for an existing car rather than (strictly speaking) a new one - and in fairness to it, also the first Alpina-badged car not built in Buchloe - but nevertheless, it feels like a fairly inauspicious start to a new era. Not least because every example of the 120 planned will remain in North America.
Probably we should be grateful that the model retains the XB7’s most compelling USP, the monster 4.4-litre V8 in 631hp format. This is sufficiently punchy for 0-60mph in less than 4 seconds, and despite the presence of 23-inch forged wheels, we’ll assume it continues to ride adequately well on air suspension - much as the previous version did. At any rate, the hardware all remains the same: the proof, in this case, comes in the shape of frozen matte pudding.
Apparently, the XB7 has never been previously offered in Frozen Alpina Green or Frozen Alpina Blue, but those are now your choices. Elsewhere, all the brightwork (grille, rims, exhaust tips, etc.) has been blacked out, and you might notice the same goes for the pinstripe decals on the flanks. If that weren’t enough to pick the limited edition version from a herd of XB7s, there’s additional badging on the tailgate and a laser-edged Manufaktur logo on the B pillars.
Assuming you’re a fan of emblems, BMW has not forgotten to include several in a cabin now awash in Tartufo Merino leather. You’ll find a plaque on the centre console announcing the car’s ‘1 of 120’ status, alongside embroidered headrests and a matching pair of branded leather weekender bags in the boot. Interestingly, it seems BMW has resisted the temptation to deploy its updated Alpina badge, instead leaving the XB7 to depart in much the same guise as it arrived.
Almost certainly, that is the way the manufacturer views the special edition: a final, if somewhat awkward, last salute to what has come before - one that doesn’t risk ridicule or resentment by changing anything of note. Including Alpina’s knack of charging for the pleasure: the XB7 Manufaktur is priced from $181,550 - or £135k - which represents a hefty premium. Still, BMW might find a queue forming on the basis that this will be the very last model to wear the trappings of the old regime. From here on, expect a changing of the guard.
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