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2017 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive is an M7 by any other name

Have you been waiting for BMW to release a more potent version of the new 7 Series? Try 600 horsepower on for size and forget all about the famous M badge. The new flagship performance sedan from Munich is the 2017 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive. Alpina is Bimmer's tuner of choice, and it designs customized features to integrate precisely with the factory build. The B7's 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 is massaged to deliver a nice, round 600 horsepower, and a torque figure nearly as impressive at 590 pound-feet available from just 3,000 rpm. All that muscle is channeled through an eight-speed automatic to all four wheels (as you might have guessed from the new xDrive handle). The result is an Autobahn-blitzing 0-60 time quoted at just 3.6 seconds – 0.8 seconds quicker than its predecessor – and a top speed estimated at 193 miles per hour. Those would have been considered supercar figures not that long ago, but are delivered here in a luxury sedan as big as they come. They also stand up pretty well to the forced-induction eight-cylinder competition in the Audi S8 Plus, Jaguar XJR, Maserati Quattroporte GTS, and Mercedes-AMG S63. The Audi produces a bit more power but less torque, the Mercedes does the opposite, and the Jaguar and Maserati are left in the dust. Only the S8 Plus dares claim a quicker 0-60 time, and even then it's only said to be a tenth quicker. (The Mercedes-AMG S65 boasts much higher output from its V12, but without an all-wheel drive system capable of handling all its muscle, it's a fair bit slower off the line.) Keeping all that momentum under control is an air suspension with adaptive dampers, active roll bars, and four-wheel steering. It's all mounted to 20-inch wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber and packing oversized brakes measuring 15.5 inches at the front (with four-piston fixed calipers) and 14.5 inches (with floating calipers) at the back. Of course it also benefits from all the advancements that the Bavarian automaker developed for the latest 7 Series, but takes things a step further with a specific aero kit and an interior decked out in even more upscale leather and trim. The finished product may not wear an M7 badge as so many have called for from BMW's flagship sedan series over the years. But the Alpina name carries a cachet all its own and has for the past 50 years now – which is a few years longer than BMW M GmbH has been around.

Mini Rocketman concept reportedly going into production as an EV

Remember the Mini Rocketman Concept from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show? If you don’t thatÂ’s OK, as itÂ’s been almost an entire decade since Mini pulled the wraps off. Despite the massive time lapse, Mini decided to revive the concept, not just for show. The companyÂ’s finally going to put the Rocketman into production, as an electric vehicle. We've heard this before, a few years ago, but nothing was set in stone. Now it seems a decision has been made. AutoCar in Britain recently learned that the Rocketman will fulfill its premise as the companyÂ’s first subcompact city car. The production model, scheduled for 2022, will reportedly be heavily reworked and built as a joint project with Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors. “WeÂ’re advancing plans for a model along the lines of the Rocketman. ItÂ’s a car we have been looking at for a long time, but to build it profitably at the price point we think customers are prepared to pay, you need a joint venture partner to share costs. Great Wall Motors has provided that opportunity with a shared electric car platform that will be used by Mini,” an anonymous “senior BMW official” was quoted as saying. The production Rocketman will retain its three-door hatchback design and is expected to serve as the manufacturerÂ’s newest entry-level model. It will be built by Great Wall Motors in Jiangsu, China, while BMW oversees the design and production with plans to sell it in all markets globally. When the Rocketman first surfaced at Geneva, it was essentially BMWÂ’s direct response to DaimlerÂ’s Smart ForFour. However, even with positive feedback from prospective customers, the project was shelved because development discussions between BMW and its initial partner, Peugeot, ended abruptly. The companies were reportedly going to share platforms and powertrains in another joint venture. In the new agreement with the Chinese company, the production model will apparently use a small-car platform used by Great Wall Motors called the Ora R1. The Peugeot-BMW project was going to use either a three-cylinder gas or diesel engine. But the new model will gain an all-electric powertrain by Spotlight Automotive as a part of BMWÂ’s massive plan to launch up to 25 new plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles by the end of 2023. One of those models is the newly released all-electric Cooper SE.

Refreshed BMW 6 Series sports an understated redesign in Detroit [w/video]

BMW is keeping its refresh for the 2015 6 Series family very subtle. The tweaks amount to an understated nose job for the luxury models and some new standard tech, as well. The Bavarian brand is definitely not going too far with this redesign for the vehicles, and they even remain mechanically the same. The most obvious change for the latest 6 Series models is the sharpened front end. BMW explains that the grille now features nine slats, rather than ten. Clearly, this is a major change in design. The lower air dam is slightly reworked to accentuate the vehicles' width, and, in addition, the four-door benefits from a tweaked window surround with the Gran Coupe name embossed near the rear doors. All versions also get standard full-LED headlights. Inside, there's high-gloss black trim covering the center and LEDs illuminating portions of the interior. Beyond these minor alterations, BMW is offering two new options packs for the family that tweak the looks. While the company doesn't have any earth-shattering changes in store, they are there. Try to spot the changes in the refreshed 6 Series models as they sit on the floor of the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The new BMW 6 Series: Three Body Styles Rejuvenated and Ready to Take on the Competition Woodcliff Lake, N.J. - December 10, 2014 6:00pm EST/3:00pm PST... Through three generations, the BMW 6 Series has defined that unique blend of style and elegance with the performance and handling that one would expect of The Ultimate Driving MachineTM. For the 2015 model year the third-generation of BMW 6 Series receives a range of enhancements that refine the character that is unique to the 6 Series. Now offered in three distinct body styles – traditional two-door Coupe, open-air Convertible and unique four-door Gran Coupe – all three are again offered with a choice of BMW TwinPower Turbo engines, the 315 horsepower inline-six in the 640i models and the 445 horsepower V8 in the 650i models. Sitting at the top of the 6 Series range, in terms power and performance, is the BMW M6 with its 560 horsepower M TwinPower Turbo V8, again available in all three body styles. The 2015 BMW 6 Series will make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show and arrives in US showrooms in the first quarter of 2015. Sports performance and luxury – a combination rich in tradition. The new BMW 6 Series model range follows in a BMW tradition of legendary dream cars which now stretches back more than 75 years.