BMW Alpina B7

Speed. Power. Grace. The BMW Alpina B7 delivers all that, and more.

the B7 surrounds its occupants with fine leathers and woods, sound insulation and a great entertainment system, all as luxurious as any car on the market.

How hot? Try 540 horsepower, 538 pound-feet of torque, 4.3 seconds 0—60 and an electronically-limited top speed of over 190 mph. This is a car that can cruise along with civility, transporting five Earthlings, and then take on the big boys at the track. And unlike prior Alpina creations, the B7 can be purchased from and serviced at your local BMW dealer, all with a BMW factory warranty.

To drive this car is an exercise in restraint as one is just a pedal-stomp away from a mug shot. The heads-up display thoughtfully includes the current speed limit (onboard technology reads those signs) and posts it right next to your actual speed, a useful reminder (some would say “taunt”). This is just one of many high-tech accoutrements that the B7 provides its occupants (a James Bondian night-vision camera is another).

And yet, contrary to the supercars of yesteryear (and some of this year), the B7 surrounds its occupants with fine leathers and woods, sound insulation and a great entertainment system, all as luxurious as any car on the market. Yin, meet Yang.