2019 BMW ALPINA B6 XDrive Gran Coupe

The new 2016 model year BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe gains subtle BMW enhancements and benefits in particular from the results of continuous development by ALPINA. The four-door Gran Coupe, already widely recognized for aesthetic beauty and impressive driving performance, raises the benchmark with exciting new details. The new BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe will become available to order starting in March 2015, with US deliveries slated to begin at BMW Centers in June. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date. The BMW ALPINA B6 xDrive Gran Coupe is available as a special-order vehicle with capacity-limited production underscoring its exclusivity. The B6鈥檚 body is manufactured in the BMW 6 Series factory (Plant Dingolfing) and hand-finished with the remaining ALPINA components at the ALPINA factory in Buchloe, Germany. The hand-finishing sequence at ALPINA increases the production lead-time by approximately two weeks. European Delivery at the BMW Welt delivery center is available for the BMW ALPINA B6, as is BMW Performance Center Delivery in Greer, SC, USA.

The powerful brake system now features blue calipers with ALPINA lettering on the front axle with brake discs measuring 374 x 36 mm on the front and 370 x 24 on the rear (increased from 345 x 24 mm). The standard equipment level has been extended to include attractive features such as Full LED Adaptive Headlights with High Beam Assistant, and a discrete new B6 model designation in the B-pillar in high-gloss Shadow Line. Refined performance with powerful delivery. Continuous development of the 4.4 liter V8 Bi-Turbo V-8 engine has resulted in a number of upgrades leading to a significant increase in power output in the new B6 xDrive Gran Coupe. The engine now develops 600 hp at 6,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 590 lb-ft between 3,500 and 4,500 rpm (preliminary figures). Two specifically-constructed, large-diameter turbochargers, operating in parallel, are primarily responsible for achieving a high power and torque output over a very broad engine speed range, without sacrificing spontaneous throttle response at low rpm.

The high-performance water-air intercooler system with a short intake distances consists of a large-volume low-temperature heat exchanger, and two near-engine intercoolers. Additional oil and water coolers are located just behind the front spoiler to ensure overall thermodynamic efficiency of the engine. Extensive optimization of the air intake ducting and air filter housing leads to a substantial reduction of losses, which together with an upgraded fuel supply system results in the hike in output of 60 hp over the previous model year. Inside the cylinders, specific MAHLE pistons are designed to deal with temperatures and pressures associated with up to 1.2 bar (17.4 psi) boost pressure and the engine鈥檚 10.0:1 nominal compression ratio. ALPINA-tuned 8-speed Sport Automatic transmission. Adapted and tested in co-operation with ZF, the advanced ALPINA SWITCH-TRONIC 8-Speed Sport Automatic transmission is perfectly tailored to the power and torque of the V-8 Bi-Turbo engine. It excels equally in the disciplines sport and comfort, playing a central role in infusing the B6 xDrive Gran Coupe with ALPINA typical characteristics. In Automatic (D) Shift Mode, the flexible blend of eight speeds and high torque makes for smooth gear changes only a torque converter can provide.

Explicitly programmed for comfort, the B6 Bi-Turbo Gran Coupe glides effortlessly and efficiently at low engine speed and tall gears, offering unmatched cruising ability. In Sport (S) Shift Mode, the transmission becomes significantly more dynamic, gear changes are executed faster and feedback becomes more direct. The system allows for multi-simultaneous downshifts in only milliseconds, wherein the transmission will skip several gears depending on engine loads and speeds to select the most favorable gear for optimum acceleration. The Manual (M) Shift Mode allows full driver control over the transmission. The ALPINA SWITCH-TRONIC buttons are ergonomically mounted on the rear of the steering wheel, their actuation allowing the driver to shift up or down as required. DSC OFF Mode using the Driving Dynamics Control button is the cancellation of automatic upshift function. In this mode of operation, the transmission will maintain the selected gear up to maximum engine speed and will not automatically upshift to the next gear. This is desirable in certain driving situations, for example during especially dynamic driving on roads with multiple tight hair-pin corners, or on race track segments featuring pronounced elevation change.

Hardware modifications to the transmission, output and driveshafts enable unrestrained power delivery. In combination with the single-cylinder fade-out and ALPINA specific software modifications, this eliminates the common reduction of torque required by the transmission in order to up-shift. This allows super-quick upshifts under full loads which, together with xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive, means the B6 xDrive Gran Coupe requires only 3.6 seconds for the sprint from 0 - 60 mph (preliminary). BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive. The B6 xDrive Gran Coupe features a full stainless steel exhaust system with ALPINA trademark elliptical twin tailpipes. The character of the deep exhaust note is prominent but not intrusive. Active exhaust valves allow balance between enthusiasm and comfort on long journeys. The driver can influence the sound experience using the Driving Dynamics Control button. In Comfort Mode, the exhaust valve is closed up to 2,500 rpm, and in Sport Mode the valve is permanently open.