World of Automobile: xDrive

Showing posts with label xDrive. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Quick and the Handsome: 2011 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive Tested

2011 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive Test – Review – Car and Driver #pallet {margin:0;}#echoice li.category {margin:0;}Car and DriverIntelligence. Independence. Irreverence. VehiclesReviewsNewsFeaturesBuyer's GuideFollow UsSubscribeSearch Car and DriverHome › Reviews › 2011 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive - Short Take Road Test

Shopping Tools

2011 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive - Short Take Road TestThis time, all four of the gorgeous wheels receive power.BY JON YANCA, PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK M. HOEY
June 2011

Pages:1Photos

2011 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive

Photos (31)Visit Our Buyer's Guide »BMW 7-series› Overview› Specifications› Price with Options› Photos & 360° View› Get a Free QuoteNews & Reviews2010 BMW 750Li xDrive - Long-Term Road Test2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 750Li - Short Take Road Test2010 BMW 750Li xDrive - Long-Term Road Test Update2011 BMW Alpina B7 - Short Take Road Test2011 BMW 740i - Short Take Road Test2011 BMW Alpina B7 - First Drive Review2011 BMW 740i / 740Li - First Drive Review2010 BMW Alpina B7 - Video2011 BMW 740i / 740Li - Auto ShowsTop CompetitorsBentley Continental Flying Spur SpeedJaguar XJ / XJL Supercharged and XJ / XJL SupersportMaserati QuattroporteMercedes-Benz S63 AMGPorsche Panamera TurboDownloadsTest Sheet

What Is It?

Something like an M7, if one were to exist. Like an M car, the Alpina-tuned B7 isn’t solely focused on increasing power—as BMW does within the 7-series lineup in moving from the V-8 750 to the V-12 760—instead delivering a rich mix of cosseting luxury, rocket-ship thrust, and even-more-athletic handling. And now the B7 is available with xDrive all-wheel drive.

In the case of our test car, the transformation began with a short-wheelbase 750i xDrive. (Rear-drive and long-wheelbase 750s also can become B7s.) Under the hood, the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 is massaged to produce 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, 100 hp and 66 lb-ft more than a run-of-the-mill 750. Those considerable numbers are achieved using bigger and boostier (14.5 psi) turbos, larger intercoolers, high-performance pistons, stronger cylinder heads, and a uniquely tuned ECU. Alpina then enhances temperature management by adding an engine-oil cooler, a transmission cooler for the beefed-up six-speed automatic, and a larger radiator. The driveshaft, half-shafts, and differential housing also are upgraded in order to handle the increased twist.

The upfitting continues with the suspension. The springs are stiffened by about 20 percent, and the Alpina sits lower than an equivalent 7er by 0.6 inch in front and 0.4 inch in the rear. The B7 also gets its own traction- and stability-control programming.

Next comes the makeup, starting with Alpina’s gorgeous 20-spoke, 21-inch wheels. If you can persuade your eyes to move on from the rolling stock, you’ll notice a unique front fascia, a trunk-mounted spoiler, and special exhaust finishers resting below a new rear valance. Inside, there are handsome blue-faced gauges, an Alpina-specific steering wheel with gearshift buttons on the back, cushy-soft nappa leather upholstery, a numbered Alpina plaque on the overhead console, and Alpina logos scattered throughout.

How Does It Drive?

You might think a 4886-pound luxury liner riding on a set of wagon wheels would be as stiff as a stagecoach—and turn like one, too. But the B7 really hits the sweet spot, offering a luxurious ride and near-trackworthy handling no matter which of the four chassis settings you choose. It’s obviously a bit cushier in Comfort mode and tighter in the Sport and Sport Plus modes—where a touchier throttle, more aggressive gearbox programming, and weightier steering liven things up—but it never gets wallowy or overly harsh. The no-compromises chassis combines with BMW’s excellent xDrive AWD system to deliver a performance/luxury machine perfect for any weather and all occasions. The xDrive system functions just as it does in the 7-series xDrive and 5-series xDrive models, but it’s said to have been retuned for Alpina duty due to the B7’s output increase. It works well; when we tossed this bruiser into a corner, initial understeer was quickly mitigated by the system shifting torque rearward, keeping us on our intended path.

How Does It Stack Up?

It fared nearly identically to the rear-drive B7 at the test track. The xDrive model totes an additional 176 pounds, but its extra traction off the line helped it match the RWD model’s 4.3-second 60-mph and 12.8-second quarter-mile times. It was 2 mph slower at the trap, still recording a credible 111 mph. Braking was again remarkable for such a big car, tallying 163 feet from 70 mph, just one foot longer than the rear-drive B7. The xDrive, as you might expect, clung to the skidpad with a bit more tenacity, riding the same Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 rubber to 0.88 g, an increase of 0.03.

What’s the Cost?

We had two complaints about this B7: We’d like a little more growl from the exhaust, and we can’t afford to buy one. The B7 xDrive’s premium over its short-wheelbase rear-drive sibling is $3000, so it starts at $127,175, including a $1300 gas-guzzler tax. Our test vehicle packed on about 10 grand in options, including a rear- and side-view camera package ($1200); a Driver Assistance package that nabs auto high-beams, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot detection ($1350); a rear entertainment setup ($2200); an annoying active cruise-control system ($2400); and night vision ($2600), among a few other bits. We’d definitely skip the active cruise, and probably leave out night vision, too.

If the planets aligned, the cow jumped over the moon, and we won the lottery, this Alpina B7 would be among our top picks to fill the big-ticket luxury-sled slot in our garage. Back in reality, we had to give this one back—but not before picking up a few Powerball tickets for good measure.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED: $137,725 (base price: $127,175)

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 268 cu in, 4395 cc
Power (SAE net): 500 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 516 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 120.9 in Length: 200.2 in
Width: 74.9 in Height: 58.4 in
Curb weight: 4886 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.4 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 26.4 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 4.7 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 3.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.8 sec @ 111 mph
Top speed (governor limited, mfr’s claim): 175 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 163 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.88 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 14/20 mpg
C/D observed: 15 mpg

Subscribe to Car and Driver magazine

Pages:1Photos

Stumble ItYahoo! BuzzCommentsJoin the Discussion

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Long-Term Introduction: 2011 BMW 550i xDrive Sedan:

Roger Hart
AutoWeek welcomed a 5-series to our long-term fleet.

If there's a midsize sports sedan standing above the rest, one could argue that it is BMW's 5-series. So we thought it critical that we spend a year with one. That there was a new 5-series last year would also give us a chance to see how all of the changes BMW made would hold up over the long haul. If nothing else, we figured it would make a fine replacement for our long- term Jaguar XF Supercharged.

Why did we wait almost a year to get our hands on the new car? Because rather than snap up one of the first cars off the boat, we waited several months so we could take delivery of one of the first all-wheel-drive models to come to the United States, the main market for the AWD version.

We started with a 550i xDrive sedan with a base price of $62,875. It comes with oodles of standard equipment, including adaptive headlamps, a moonroof, automatic climate control, navigation system and rain-sensing wipers.

To that we added a bunch of options we simply could not live without, such as the Dynamic Handling package (including adaptive drive, dynamic suspension control, active roll stabilization); Premium 2 package, including rearview camera, power rear sunshade, heated front seats, iPod and USB adapter, satellite radio and premium audio; the Sport package, with 19-inch W-spoke alloy wheels, leather steering wheel and multicontour seats; rear-seat entertainment; a cold-weather package, including a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats; side- and top-view cameras and a split fold-down rear seat. All told, the price came to $74,700.

What did we get for the money? A 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 powers the car, producing a stout 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The BMW will hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and the quarter-mile takes 12.8 seconds at 111 mph, so no one on staff is complaining about it being slow. The car rides on a new aluminum-intensive suspension with double wishbones in front (introduced on the fifth-generation 7-series), while the rear continues with multilinks with revised geometry. Our car's Dynamic Handling package uses three-stage electronic shocks with a switchable program offering comfort, normal, sport and sport-plus modes and also altering the throttle mapping and shift speed.

Our first order of business was to put winter tires on our tester, so we swapped the Goodyears that came on the car for a set of Dunlop SP Winter Sport M3s in the stock 245/40R-19 size and had them installed on our stock rims. We've run these tires on long-term cars before—our Jaguar XKR convertible and Audi S6—and in both cases, they were great. Ride quality is good, the tires are quiet, and they turned both of those cars into snowmobiles. (We clearly remember driving the Jag convertible home in a blizzard and trucking through the left lane, easily passing Hummer H2s and Jeep Grand Cherokees.)

The Dunlops are classified as performance winter tires, so they should keep BMW's handling prowess up.

It's all good so far: Even with the stock run-flat tires on, which some of us around here generally hate, the ride is calmer than that of the old car. The reworked suspension is supple in comfort mode, soaking up Detroit's nasty expansion joints and potholes without the old 5-series' harsher ride.

“This thing is unflappable in lousy weather,” one staffer wrote. “It heats up fast and goes through anything—it simply rocks in the snow. I had no trouble this weekend. Even with the single-digit temps, it warmed up quickly—a blessing.”

“Best 5-series I've driven yet,” another chimed in. “Yes, the exterior is more conservative than before, but I love the interior, and it drives like champ—rock-solid and comfortable.”

Hmmm. “Rock solid.” “Drives like a champ.” Will it remain that way for 12 grueling months? We're about to find out.

Specs & Data

2011 BMW 550i xDrive Sedan

PRICING & OPTIONS

Base price (includes $875 delivery): $62,875

As-tested price: $74,700

Options: Dynamic Handling package, with adaptive drive, dynamic damper control and active roll stabilization ($2,700); Premium 2 package, with rearview camera, power rear sunshade, rear sunshades, heated front seats, iPod and USB adapter, satellite radio with one-year subscription, premium hi-fi system ($2,400); Sport package, with 19-inch alloy W-spoke wheels, sport leather steering wheel, multicontour seats, shadowline exterior trim ($2,200); rear-seat entertainment, with two eight-inch color screens ($2,200); cold-weather package, with heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, retractable headlight washers ($1,050); side- and top-view cameras ($800); split fold-down rear seats ($475)

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase (in): 116.9

Track (in): 63.0 front, 64.1 rear

Length/width/height (in): 193.1/73.2/57.6

Curb weight/GVWR (lb): 4,519/5,600

ENGINE

Front-longitudinal 4.4-liter/268-cid DOHC twin-turbocharged V8

Power: 400 hp @ 5,500-6,400 rpm

Torque: 450 lb-ft @ 1,750-4,500 rpm

Compression ratio: 10.0:1

Fuel requirement: 91 octane

DRIVETRAIN

All-wheel drive

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Final drive ratio: 3.077:1

SUSPENSION

Front: Double wishbone, coil springs, electronically controlled variable damping shock absorbers, hydraulically actuated antiroll bar

Rear: Multilink, coil springs, electronically controlled variable damping shock absorbers, hydraulically actuated antiroll bar

BRAKES/WHEELS/TIRES

Vented discs front and rear, ABS; aluminum 245/40R-19 Goodyear Eagle LS2

FUEL ECONOMY

EPA combined: 18 mpg

TRACK TEST DATA

STANDING-START ACCELERATION

0-60 mph: 4.5 sec

0-quarter-mile: 12.8 sec @ 111 mph

BRAKING

60-0 mph: 127.3 ft

HANDLING

490-ft slalom: 42.3 mph

Lateral acceleration (200-ft skidpad): 0.84 g

INTERIOR NOISE (DBA)

Idle: 37

Full throttle: 68

Steady 60 mph: 66

AutoWeek loves passionate comments and debate, but remember that you're part of a diverse community. Critique statements or articles, not people; talk about the automotive world, but skip the rhetoric, hate speech, and obscenities. Above all, be respectful. While we can't read every post, this site is moderated and AutoWeek will remove comments as we see fit. Questions? Email moderator@autoweek.com

View the original article here