76 MODERN CLASSICS
HEAD TO HEAD
todayupstheequinecountto an
M6-smashing523bhp,withthetorque
boostedto 535lb-ftby wayof a new
superchargercompressorand
reworkedvariablevalvetimingon
the intake.
It’seasyto be dazzledby thefigures,
but thefirstthingthathitsyouwhen
youstepintotheAlpinais themarked
differenceinmaterials.Thequality
andsoftnessof theleatheris much
closerto a Bentley,andthepianoblack
panelling,bespokeblueAlpinadials
andhand-stitchedleathersteering
wheelallcombineto makesimply
si ttingintheB6Sanevent.
It’sveryclearthat,althoughmore
aggressiveontheoutside,it’scertainly
a muchmoremeasuredmachinethan
the M6.TheZF6HPgearboxis a
conventionalautomaticwithbutton-
operatedshifts.Thinkmore
Mercedes-BenzAMGor Bentleywhen
itcomesto fingertipfeeling–it’sa
sl owerprocessthantheM6’sSMGIII
unit,withnowherenearas much
hapticpleasurefromtheinterface.
That’snotreallythepoint,though.
NEXTGENERATION
WhenthelastE63M6
sh riekedawayfromthe
pr oductionline,it was
cl eartheV10wouldn’t
re turnforthenextone.
WhentheF13
ap pearedin 2012,it got
th e S63B44T0twin-
turbochargedV8.TheF13
M6chuckedout 553bhp,
gr owingto 567bhpwith
th e firstCompetition
Pa ck,then591bhpwith
th e second.Torquewas
50 2lb-ft,growingto 516.
It was140kgheavierthan
th e E63,but youcould
ha veit in convertibleand
tw o-dooror four-door
co upe(F06)versions.
Alpina’sresponsewas
th e B6 Bi-Turbowithan
N63 V8 twin-turbowhich
pr ovided533bhpand
51 6lb-ftof torque,with
aneight-speedZF auto
(t heM6 hadmanual
an d a seven-speeddual-
clutchpaddleshift).The
Edition50 celebratedthe
co mpany’s50th
bi rthday,andboosted
power to 600bhp.
Revisionsin 2015took
th e B6 to 611bhp.Likethe
M6, theAlpinascouldbe
ha d in two-doorand
four-doorcoupeforms.
Pr oductionof both
en dedin 2018,andthe
6 Se riesnameretiredin
fa vourof the8 Series.
Alloysmeasurea
JodrellBank-
troubling 20 in.
Extra-large,
comfortable
an d thirsty.
Andan Alpina.
Alpinasoaks
upbumps
much better
than the M6.
Reardiffuseraids
au toroutetoll getaways.
