If you're familiar with BMW's M division, you'll be aware of Alpina, a tuning house that specialises in making the best BMW models even faster and more luxurious.
That is exactly what the team has done to this BMW X7, as it was revealed just yesterday as the Alpina XB7. And it's fair to say that no seven-seat SUV should be able to move this fast.
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Starting with BMW's largest SUV, the X7 M50i, the Alpina's exterior modifications are subtle, but increase the intimidation factor of the massive SUV. Unfortunately, those huge kidney grilles up front have been left untouched.
You'll notice the 'ALPINA' lettering sitting beneath these grilles, and at the rear, the bumper has been modified to accommodate the quad exhaust tips. The final aesthetic change comes in the form of the massive 21-inch wheels.
Under the bonnet, the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine has been tuned to pump out 456kW and 800Nm of torque. This is 66kW and 50Nm more torque over the standard output.
All this power allows this luxo-barge to hit 100km/h in four seconds flat, before topping out at 290km/h. Alpina also tested the SUV down the quarter-mile, where it managed a 12.6-second run — which isn't bad for something that weighs 2.6 tonnes.
On the inside, almost every surface has been covered in Alcantara and leather, and Alpina will throw in a Rolls-Royce style headliner with glowing stars for an extra cost.
The XB7 comes with three rows of seating, and can be had with either six or seven seats. This means you can take the whole family along for the ride when you're slamming 12-second runs at the strip.
While New Zealand pricing hasn't been released, this SUV will cost around $233,000 over in America. Interestingly, this is around $3,000 more expensive than the 7-Series-based B7 sedan.
