If you think the new 2020 BMW 7-Series grille is too big, but you still want the car, then why not buy the most powerful and fastest version of it so that people don’t have a chance to see your car’s monumental nostrils? That version is the reworked 7-Series called the 2020 Alpina B7. It was just revealed last week in Palm Springs and is touted as the world’s fastest three-box sedan.

The new Alpina B7 is based on the facelifted version of BMW’s flagship 7-Series, complete with its huge kidney grille that seemed to have broken the internet at the time of its reveal. According to those who have seen the new 7 in the metal, the grille doesn’t seem as oversized in person. Photos apparently exaggerate the size of the grille, the top third of which is completely covered anyway.

But let’s not turn this into another article about the new 7-Series and its grille because, in the case of this particular 7-Series, what’s most important is what lies behind that grille and under the hood.

Alpina claims the new B7’s top speed is 205 mph or 330 km/h, and that puts it at the very top of the fastest sedans in the world list. It apparently just nudges forward of the next fastest sedan, the (more powerful) Dodge Charger Hellcat whose top speed is just one mile per hour lower. All 2020 Alpina B7s come with all-wheel drive to help with putting that power down and improve all-weather capability.

Performance aside, Alpina has bestowed the 2020 B7 with a new bumper that’s clean yet sporty, and it does manage to draw some of the attention away from Grillezilla. The same style is continued down the sides with new side skirts plus a new bumper with integrated exhaust tips in the back. Completing the exterior look are a set of classic Alpina style wheels that just seem to look good on any BMW and, last but not least, the superb Alpina Green paint finish which I think is even better than the usual Alpina Blue.

Inside, Alpina did its usual subtle makeover - the most noticeable difference between a B7 and any 7-Series is the Alpina badge on the steering wheel that replaces BMW’s propeller. But the Alpina is also more luxurious than the BMW with more stitched leather, unique trim materials, contrasting stitching, and plenty of quilted details.

2020 Alpina B7 drivetrain specifications

Engine type

N63B44T3

Cylinders

8

Valves per cylinder

4

Stroke mm

88.3

Bore mm

89

Displacement cm³

4,395

Compression rate :1

10.5

Engine power

600 HP @ 5,500 – 6,500 RPM

Engine torque

590 LB-FT @ 2,000 – 5,000 RPM

0-60 mph seconds

3.5

Top speed (with all-season tires)

205 mph


Further reading

Read our full review on the 2020 BMW 7 Series.