It’s based on the biggest BMW ever. It’s got the largest kidney grille ever fitted to the front end of any BMW model. It can sprint from zero-to-60 in four seconds flat and tops out at 180 mph according, and has a starting MSRP of $141,300—oh, and it’s also sold out for 2020 production.
A model such as the XB7 may have been utterly inconceivable during the days of the 2002, E30, or even the E46, but today, it and the X7 upon which it is derived are among the most in-demand BMW models the carmaker sells. The X7 the third-most-popular model in the X portfolio in terms of deliveries, and regularly outsells all of the conventional models with the exception of the bellwether 3 Series and 5 Series. Given its size, presence, and price, the XB7 is clearly pushings things just a bit too far, right? According to BMW and Alpina, that’s simply not the case, as production allocations for the remainder of 2020 have been filled.
To be clear, the Alpina XB7 is a limited-production model, just like any other offering from the Buchloe-based tuner turned manufacturer. Even though it’s produced in Spartanburg, South Carolina, it is an Alpina through and through, from the powertrain to the special treatments that make the interior what it is, and only so many can (and will) be produced at a time. Like a 7 Series or X7, its presence speaks for itself, but so does it’s price. While the XB7 starts at $141,300, checking the option boxes, adding nice paint, and a stunning interior drive the price up to just over $155,000. The XB7 is a premium vehicle no matter what, but to put things into perspective, its starting MSRP is nearly double that of the base-model X7 xDrive40i.
And yet, people have shown up to buy it in droves from the moment it was announced in May. Production of the XB7 began this month, and the first deliveries are scheduled to commence in September. The exact number of XB7 orders hasn’t been disclosed, but BMW has divulged that Alpina produces fewer than 2,000 vehicles annually. However, while the numbers for the XB7 might not be large, they are nonetheless notable, especially when you consider that Rolls-Royce built over 5,100 vehicles in 2019 alone.—Alex Tock
[Photos courtesy BMW AG.]
