Alpina B6 xDrive boosts Gran Coupe to 540 hp

The 2015 BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe was revealed on Wednesday. The new super-coupe will make its North American debut next month at the New York auto show and go on sale immediately after.

The Alpina B6 is based on the 6-series Gran Coupe (and thus features four doors, despite the name). The tuning house added some aerodynamic touches to the already-sleek BMW, including a new front apron with protruding splitters, rear spoilers and a rear diffuser that houses the exhaust outlets.

Alpina tweaks the stock 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 to make 540 hp and 540 lb-ft of torque. That’s up from the stock Gran Coupe’s 445 hp and 480 lb-ft, but power is still below the M6’s 560 hp. Sixty mph flies by in 3.7 seconds; top speed is 198 mph.

The B6 gets an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is smooth as silk in the 6-series, and all-wheel drive courtesy of BMW’s xDrive system. A tuned stainless-steel exhaust resonates from the tailpipes with a “deep but unobtrusive exhaust note.” That last statement reminds us of the Dinan-tuned BMW 5-series we drove earlier this year.

The B6 gets Alpina’s 20-inch “Classic” 21-spoke wheels, while NACA ducts direct air to the 14.7-inch brake rotors.

As with all Alpina BMW models, interior upgrades are also available. Those are installed at Alpina’s factory in Buchloe, Germany.

The Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe costs $118,225, including destination and handling. The B6 is available as a special-order vehicle; delivery can be taken at the BMW Welt delivery center in Munich or at BMW’s Performance Center in Greer, S.C.

By Jake Lingeman