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2023 BMW Alpina XB7 Has 630 HP and That Awkward Face

Priced from $145,995, the Alpina XB7 hits the road early next year.

Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
2 min read
2023 BMW Alpina XB7

The split-headlight arrangement looks better here than on the standard X7, at least.

BMW

Alpina really knows how to make cars extra cool. We've always loved the tuning company's products, and we don't see much to dislike about the 2023 Alpina XB7 that debuted Tuesday -- aside from the weird split headlights, anyway.

The Alpina XB7 builds off the X7 M60i, meaning it uses BMW's new twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology. Total output is rated at 630 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, increases of 100 hp and 37 lb-ft. This means the Alpina XB7 can sprint to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, though interestingly, despite the extra power, this is only a 0.1-second improvement over the X7 M60i.

Still, we love the new V8 engine. There's tons of low-end punch and the 48-volt mild-hybrid system allows the stop/start tech to work smoothly. All-wheel drive is standard, as is an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the Alpina XB7 comes standard with go-fast technologies like an active limited-slip differential and rear-axle steering. The standard X7 drives like a dream, so we're expecting nothing less from the Alpina, even with its model-specific (read: slightly stiffer) chassis tuning.

Of course, the Alpina updo is about more than performance. Styling touches include those awesome 23-inch wheels with Alpina's 20-spoke design, though smaller 21-inch wheels are available if you prefer. The illuminated grille has a waterfall lighting look, which outght to look rad at night, and inside, there's a unique Alpina glass iDrive controller, Lavalina leather, different wood trim and more.

The Alpina XB7 comes standard with pretty much all of the X7's optional equipment, hence its starting price of $145,995, including a $995 destination charge. BMW says the Alpina XB7 order books will open in September with the first deliveries taking place early next year.

2023 BMW Alpina XB7 Has More Power, More Luxury

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