I’m fairly good at spotting cars that will vanish in 24 hours or less and never be seen again. Mercedes CL600’s and CL63’s, BMW M5’s with V-10’s, 10 year old Mazda B2300 pickups with 2,000 miles…..they go quick. CarMax carries only one Alpina B7 at a time nationwide, usually, and today they have two. They are also usually way above my unicorn level of $35,000 and 60,000 miles maximum.
This 2012 Alpina B7 (F01) is the only one that meets my criteria. Auto Cruise Control, 500hp hand-built twin-turbo V-8, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, night vision, driver drowsiness detection, air leveling suspension – executive comfort, exclusive production – only hundreds sold in the US annually – and it sold new just six years ago for over $120,000! Yes, there will be exorbitant repairs, and that’s why this car, like Guenther, my first CarMax unicorn (2004 S55 AMG) and Etta, my second CarMax unicorn (2008 911), this ONLY makes sense if you spend a couple of grand more on the MaxCare extended warranty and transfer all that financial risk to CarMax. With that, you can be out the door for less than $40,000 and NEVER have a major repair bill. Depreciation and MaxCare allow us to drive cars way beyond our means without going broke!
Find this two-owner car here in California – if the link is dead the car has either sold (and I predict by May 9th it will!), is on hold, or being transferred. And for those new to the blog, per my Bio and Disclaimer please remember this is a hobby – I’m not affiliated with CarMax, make no money on this, not even ads on the blog!
From the Rick Hendrick BMW review in 2012: “We drove an Alpina B7 and came away thinking the Alpina is the closest we should expect to come to an M7. We don’t expect to see BMW build an M7 because its size and weight would prevent it from achieving the sporty character BMW expects in an M model. Having the Alpina B7 means they don’t have to play that card.
The Alpina was designed to combine performance with true luxury. It uses a tuned version of the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that makes 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. BMW says the Alpina is capable of reaching 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, which makes it as fast as the 760i. Despite the performance tuning, the Alpina delivers its massive power smoothly and without a lot of ruckus.
The Alpina B7 is lowered front and rear, rides on 21-inch wheels, and features BMW’s Dynamic Damping Control and Active Roll Stabilization systems. The suspension is tuned by Alpina to balance ride and handling, and it does so impressively. We found the ride quality of the Alpina B7 firm but surprisingly forgiving, considering its shorter springs and larger wheels. Handling is sharper than that of the other 7 Series models. Drivers can choose among Comfort, Normal and Sport modes to tailor dynamics to the situation.”