Comments:
Wow, envy you getting to see those cars now. Still undecided by the X5M or X6M.
Here in the USA, the Alpina B6 is only available in all wheel drive. Which means I would get the BMW M6.
2014 Los Angeles Auto Show: BMW
BMW. The ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE.
A beautiful and striking color. Those wheels are probably hard to clean.
Notice the steering wheel has shift lights!
This is how I want my M4! Minus the orange paint, unless I'm a San Francisco GIANTS Fan.
Thanks for reading!
BMW did not provide the Ultimate display at the LA Auto Show, but did celebrate the two world premieres of the X5M and X6M. These two cars are the latest iterations of the high-performance M-Motorsport Division at BMW.
The X5M and X6M boast BMW engines with 575 horsepower and 553 ft/lbs of torque! Both models are equipped with an 8 cylinder engine with the identical number of gears in the transmission. Both models are able to achieve a 0-62mph acceleration run n 4.2 seconds! With a revised suspension and steering set up, not to mention sportier aesthetics and a very nice leather interior, the X5M and X6M both feature a premium driving experience in a first-class environment.
Alpina B6 or BMW M6 Gran Coupe?
The sophisticated ALPINA interior
Alpina plaque
Still orange display lighting, a la BMW. I like the blue speedometer background.
A beautiful and striking color. Those wheels are probably hard to clean.
2-series convertible
X5 M
Giant wheels and giant fixed caliper brakes.
X6M
X6M interior. Look at all that stitched leather!
Nice seats, very supportive.
Door is completely trimmed in real leather. A first class feeling.
This is not the Lime Rock Edition M3. It's a special M4!
Notice the steering wheel has shift lights!
This is how I want my M4! Minus the orange paint, unless I'm a San Francisco GIANTS Fan.
From concept car to production car, the car looks really close to the original concept!
The BMW i8 is a sharp looking car, and the best value in the exotic green car segment!
What are your thoughts about the new BMW X5M and X6M?
I have to see them in the flesh, but the I8....
I saw it in the Streets a few week ago, and wow, it is really a surprising car... I still have to get used to the idea to use a hybrid car, though... But the shape of the body, the noise of the engine... Well, it got me thinking...
Best,
Nicolas
You lucky man...
Wow, envy you getting to see those cars now. Still undecided by the X5M or X6M.
Usually - always the X5 for practicality...but that’s probably more adaptable
to the standard X5 and X6's.
The M versions you buy for the ultimate experience - and its my opinion that practicality
will most likely come 2nd.
So, yes, the X6M...? 
Meanwhile...before upgrading...we must settle with the non-M version...and perhaps a watch as compensation
Thanks for sharing your visit to the show!!
Best
Bent
Thanks for sharing your car again Bent!
I personally find the X6 to look very strange and high profile.
Since I like to be incognito, I'd probably prefer the more subtle X5.
I never liked the Alpina rimms on the 6 and 7 series
I find them too conservative. Is it only me?
- AT
I think they look good...
But they're really hard to clean... All those spokes would be a nightmare for someone like me who cleans my own car entirely by hand without using harsh chemicals to clean the wheels.
In general, multi-spoke rims are supposed to be more "luxurious" than sporty and that could be considered conservative. Sportier rims supposedly have less spokes to optimize cooling and weight, and also to make the brake hardware more visible.
I personally prefer wheels with fewer spokes. And therefore, I don't find the Alpina wheels likable, but not for the design reasons you mention, but for the practicality reasons.
As a current owner of the f13 M6
am I the only one not entirely impressed with the Alpine 6 series? Albeit I do like the 7 series alpina, Maybe the car will grow on me when seen in the flesh.
Thank you for the photos
Thank you for the photos
My thoughts on the Alpina B6...
What are you not impressed about? The aesthetic look? The performance? The whole car?
I find the aesthetics of the B6 to be intentionally not impressive. It's for someone who wants a more incognito look. Aesthetically I love the M6, with its really deep front air dam in the lower front bumper. That look is awesome, it looks like it wants to just swallow the road. The M6 does look very impressive, not to mention hungry.
A few things that I've noticed about the Alpina B6; I'd get it with a dark blue exterior and light cream interior. It's got a greater emphasis on luxury and exclusivity rather than raw sport.
On an M6, I'd get it in a sporty color inside and out that contributed to the seriousness of the car. It's got a greater emphasis on performance rather than luxury. But still has all of the luxury accoutrements.
If I had the privilege of choosing between the two cars, I'd get the BMW M6. I want that performance of the M6 over the luxury and exclusivity of the B6. But the Alpina is for other people who want something rare, but not necessarily high performance, but still higher performing. Think Mercedes-AMG vs Mercedes-Maybach. The Mercedes-Maybach version will be much more luxurious and special than the normal car but not necessarily as high performance as an M-Car or AMG-car.
Thanks for reading! Post up some pics of your M6 when you get a chance!
M6 and i8, Alpina B6 are all nice...just pity the Client Advisors...
now they have to remember all these models. Used to be 3, 5, 6, 7 series, X5, and some engine variations.
Today, it's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, i3, i8 .....what else?
I still prefer my good old days of BMW 330Ci, X5 V8, 535i, 650Ci....although some bangle-butt, it's polarized and have some character.
Now, I can't tell the difference much (used to be able to spot any series just 1 quick glance by the lamps) unless I look really hard, so I moved on.
Maybe i8 will attract me back, wait till it matures.
Some older memories to share...I've been a good supporter.
Rgds
Raymond
Regarding Bangle...
Admittedly, when I first saw the 2002 BMW 7 series with the new Bangle design, I thought it was a weird looking thing. A space ship with weird iDrive control. A complete departure in a fundamentally conservative executive-class car world.
Fast forward today, and I find the current VanHook designs to be boring, pedantic, and minimal departures from the Bangle era designs.
Still seeing the Bangle era designs, I see that there is a huge difference between the 2001 7-series and the 2003 5-series vehicles compared to the 2002 7-series and 2004 5-series vehicles respectively.
The 6 series is an attractive car with a resemblance of a sleek and fast yacht on the Mediterranean Sea.
And last but not least, the Bangle designs have aged well. They were overly modern at first, but now they still look relatively modern even today.
Respectable Marque still...
BMW is technologically advanced and no question about their engines.
Many automakers copied their iDrive concept and they had nice voice command features that actually works, like in my 535i and 650Ci.
I always remember the ad where Lexus LS-460 was able to parallel park by itself....now Ford can do that too...
I'm a little worry about higher end cars getting into way too much electronics...heard the first few years of Cayenne and Panamera were nightmares for the Porsche service department.
Now their new interior consoles works reliably, and looks very good.
Nice talking to you, Patrick.
Rgds
Raymond
Agreed..
And not only are cars getting more sophisticated with electronics, Mercedes-Benz now has a car with a special suspension that will even move to different positions in a corner on their new S-Class coupe. This is different from Magic Body Control, this is much more advanced than MBC which is a version of Active Body Control, but with a stereo camera so it can see road imperfections. Also, the camera is not designed to recognize holes in the road, in other words it recognizes convex bumps and not concave pot holes. Considering most things that cause ride imperfections are potholes, it's actually quite limited.
The Adaptive Roll Suspension (part of Dynamic Drive in BMW) is now being copied at Porsche where it is now called Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control.
The electronic systems will only become more sophisticated and more complex unfortunately. And as a result I can only imagine that the reliability of cars in the future will be worse than they are today.