BMW turns 100 this year, and the automaker will throw 12 months’ worth of special events celebrating its past and looking to its future.
Rather than kick back on its reputation at a Beer Garden in Munich, BMW is bringing four new 2017 models to showrooms later this year as part of the anniversary celebration.
The BMW Alpina B7 xDrive (top) offers a specially tuned version of the most recent 7 Series. Alpina is a special tuning house connected to BMW, the same way Abarth works with Fiat and Shelby works with Mustang. This new B7 builds on a 2016 7 Series frame to create a mix of BMW’s top of the line luxury sedan and a car of startling raw power.
Alpina gave their B7 xDrive a 4.4 liter, twin-turbocharged V8 – kicking the car’s horsepower to 600, a number unheard of in most comfort-centric builds. A specially tuned eight-speed automatic transmission feeds that power to all-wheel-drive. The end result is a special, limited edition luxury ride the elite with a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds.
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The queen of the 2017 rollouts is the BMW M760i xDrive (above) — a car that marks the first time the 7 Series luxury sedan gets the lauded M badge sport tuning treatment. Technically, the M760i isn’t the M7 BMW lovers wanted to see add its poetry to that of the iconic M3 and M5, but the new M-enhanced 7 Series is BMW’s biggest effort to date to marry the refinement and technology of their halo sedan with the track aspirations of the M series.
The M760i xDrive offers a roaring V12 – the first such engine introduced to the M line. The 600 horsepower that BMW engine puts out will run 0-60 in 3.9 seconds (a testament to the tuning abilities of the Alpina, when you think about it). In keeping with 7 Series history, the M760i xDrive will offer the ultimate level of technology available from BMW.
For sister company Mini, the BMW anniversary arrives with the 2017 MINI Clubman All4 (above). This is the first time the much larger version of the very small car will offer all-wheel-drive for more aggressive use in rugged conditions.
Pegged to sell around $30,000, the All4 drive manages a 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds. But this new Clubman is not as concerned with speed as it is with toughness and all-weather capability.
Finally, the 2017 Mini John Cooper Works Convertible (bottom) gets the hyped-up treatment from Mini’s chosen tuning shop. The John Cooper Works designers enhanced the classic, petite sportiness of a Mini and add power and handling capabilities.
In the case of this convertible, a turbo boosted, 2.0 liter, four cylinder engine will put 228 horsepower. John Cooper Works strips out weight and tightens the handling to push the Mini Cooper’s 0-60 time down to 6.3 seconds.
All four of these 2017 models will hit showrooms later this year during BMW’s 100th birthday party.
