BMW 6 Series Alpina CCA Edition is a One-Off Winner

Back in February, BMW confirmed what many car junkies knew but preferred to ignore: the 6 Series coupe will cease production sometime in the next two years. The company is making room for their fourth-generation hatchback, which they plan to officially unveil in several weeks time.

Fortunately for fanatics of the 6 Series coupe, a silver lining exists in the form of the B6 Gran Coupe, which BMW will continue to manufacture for the foreseeable future. It’s uncertain what sort of BMW performance parts patchwork and body style changes to the Gran Coupe are going to be included with the latest model year as we await unveiling, but observers can take an educated guess by looking at the one-off Alpina B6 built for Car Club America.

SPECS
Despite being “one of a kind,” the Alpina B6 CCA Edition is approximately 90% composed of existing BMW parts and engineering. It’s kind of like how cheetahs and leopards possess nearly-identical DNA but are very different animals regardless. It’s no surprise we see many of the same 6 Series BMW auto parts we would if looking at a standard showroom model or shopping for performance parts online. Yet the changes, however small, make a huge difference.

Officially dubbed the Alpina B6 XDrive Gran Coupe BMW CCA Edition, this one-off road wonder possesses a V8 generating 600 horsepower and 590 foot-pounds of torque. The 4.4.-litre engine successfully goes from 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 198 mph. For those interested in a class comparison, the B6 Gran Coupe is classified as a high-end mid-sized luxury automobile.

PERFORMANCE
As one can imagine based on the specs, the Alpina B6 CCA Edition is a performance beast on the open road. As with virtually all BMW models, this one-off appears to handle turns at speed with ease and hugs the road without weighing down the superstructure. Despite the design’s inherent reliance on existing BMW parts and engineering, Alpina slips in its signature touches to tweak performance. This involves not only engine and transmission adjustments, but also new approaches to exhaust system components.

FEATURES
In accordance with its role as a prize in an upcoming CCA raffle, the Alpina B6 Gran Coupe includes some head-turning features you won’t find anywhere else. At first glance, the custom Alpina paint job is enough to command attention for a minute or two. The blue metallic finish is something not seen on any other existing BMW. Moving into the cabin, the vehicle’s interior showcases the features and BMW parts which are likely to inspire the most raffle submissions. Handcrafted steering wheel finish matches similarly treated seating and center console upholstery, all united by white leather accented with black stitching.

However, whether the winner of the raffle appreciates it or not, the winning feature of the Alpina B6 XDrive Gran Coupe BMW CCA Edition as far as gearheads are concerned is the custom exhaust system. Alpina has replaced the original BMW exhaust parts for a single piece of titanium, shaving off a whopping 15 pounds in the process. As mentioned previously when discussing specs, this intriguing approach to performance enabled Alpina engineers more freedom when exploring engine enhancement; a lighter load means more power put to speed.

CONTEXT
So where does this all stand in context with existing luxury cars equipped with beastly engines and performance parts? After all, we’re examining the design of a one-off in preparation for what’s to come ofmean factory floor. Ogling a one of a kind car like the Alpina B6 CCA Edition must inevitably maean looking past the glossy finish, otherwise, an inferior competitor like the Buick LaCrosse will, due to the price difference, seem more appealing to consumers.

With this in mind, it’s important to resist getting attached to the glitz and glamor applied by Alpina, particularly to the interior. Rather, folks ought to keep their eyes on those BMW parts like the exhaust system upgrades and other inspired methods of tweaking performance. Ultimately, when it comes to which one-off BMW parts reflect the eventual factory norm, it’ll be the ones under the hood which stay for the long haul.