Is there any design department that’s subjected to more stick than BMW’s in recent years? Mercedes is certainly giving it a good go with the new CLA and recently unveiled Concept GT XX, but the designs coming out of Munich over the last five years have been especially challenging. The latest 4 Series and M4 are the high-profile ones, of course, though some have come round to the vertical grilles on the latter. The same can't be said for the XM, however, which looks as though it was deliberately styled to be provocative.
At least in that regard, the XM was a success, but the whole point of the mammoth kidney grilles were to broaden BMW’s appeal in markets that like to flaunt their disposable wealth. And the first car to receive said gnashers was not the G22 4 Series, but the G11 7 Series. When the mid-life facelift was introduced in 2019, BMW decided to spend most of the design budget enlarging the front intakes while leaving the rest of the car alone. So, unlike the 4 Series, where the tall grille was very much part of the design, the snout on the 7 Series looked completely at odds with the rest of the car, no matter the trim. Well, unless you stretched to the Alpina B7, like the one we have for sale here.
Alpina has (or had - RIP etc) a habit of improving the look of anything it touches and the G11 (or in this case the G12 long wheelbase) 7 Series was no exception. Fitting a slightly deeper splitter extended the height of front bumper just enough for the grilles to appear a little less ginormous, while also making the limo appear more imposing (which was surely the point of the massive gob in the first place). Other tweaks were more subtle, including a quad-exhaust system nestled in a redesigned rear bumper, a set of 21-inch multi-spoke wheels and, on this car, the obligatory deco vinyl pack. Funny how a few small changes transformed a dog's dinner into something far more smart and sophisticated.
Pop the bonnet and you’ll find the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 as the standard 750i (not the bigger, heavier V12 used in the 760Li), albeit with uprated Mahle pistons, beefier turbos, a new intercooler and tweaks to the engine management. Power remained the same between the pre- and post-facelift cars, though changes were made for the latter to broaden the torque band, with 590lb ft arriving all the way down at 2,000rpm. So it’s naffing quick, as the 3.6-second 0-62mph time proves, and will comfortably sit at 206mph on an autobahn blast.
It’s the interior that’s the real show-stopper, though. Cream leather doesn’t suit all cars, but it looks spectacular on this B7, especially against the Alpina blue exterior paintwork. The company uses the same leather as Rolls-Royce does, so it ought to feel incredibly cosy under one’s backside - and there’s a set of TV screens at the back of the headrests for those in the rear to kill time between important business meetings or whatever powerfully built company directors do. It’s one of the few cars on this earth where you want to drive and be driven in it at the same time.
What makes this generation of the B7 extra special, however, is that it’s the last of its kind. Alpina ended production back in 2022 shortly after announcing it’d been bought out by BMW. We still don’t know exactly what the future of Alpina looks like, with the first BMW-led cars expected early next year, although given the company shifted 2,000 examples before calling time on its limo, there’s surely a case to revive the B7 name come 2026. For now, this remains the latest and last of the mighty B7s, with this 55,701-mile car costing £89,999. Further proof that Alpinas rarely suffer the same level of depreciation their BMW counterparts do, and remain hugely desirable long after a new model comes along - especially when said new model is the even bigger grilled 7 Series of today.
SPECIFICATION | ALPINA B7 (G12)
Engine: 4,395cc V8, twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 608@5,500-6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 590@2,000-5,000rpm
MPG: 25.4
CO2: 264
Year registered: 2020
Recorded mileage: 55,701
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £89,995
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