We've seen spy photos of the upcoming Alpina XB7 on several occasions but today's the first time we can take a look at the vehicle in motion through this spy video. Coming courtesy of Automotive Mike on YouTube, it shows a near-production prototype lapping the Nurburgring at full throttle.
If this is your first virtual meeting with the seven-seat SUV, let us give you all the details you need to know in short. The XB7 will be Alpina's variant of the BMW X7, which is currently the largest SUV in the Bavarian brand's lineup. Basically, it will be the most powerful and faster X7 with a factory warranty money can buy.
It is believed the Buchloe-based automaker is working on two different versions of the performance high-riding people mover. The less expensive one will get a 3.0-liter inline-six diesel with more than 394 horsepower (294 kilowatts) and 560 pound-feet (760 Newton-meters). This compression ignition motor could turn the XB7 into the most powerful production diesel SUV in the world.
On the other hand, a V8-powered sibling is also in the cards and, judging by the engine and exhaust sounds of the prototype, we are dealing with the eight-cylinder model in the video. Both engines will be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, sending power to all four wheels through BMW's xDrive system. The gasoline-fed motor will deliver in excess of 600 hp (447 kW).
Word on the street is Alpina will launch the XB7 in Europe before the year's end. The debut should come just weeks after the company revealed the new B3 Sedan at the Tokyo Motor Show. In The United States, the performance X7 should arrive at some point in 2020 and will be available only with the V8 engine with a starting price above the X7's $73,900 MSRP.
