Tom Bird finds the Alpina B6 S combines the best cruising abilities of the regular 6-series with the animal instinct of the M6.
The world is a very different place when you're travelling at speeds above 250kph. It's a world where cars built by BMW and Mercedes can't go - not without warranty-void ECU hacking that is.
But there are cars that thrive above this gentlemen's agreed limit - Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bugattis naturally, plus Astons, Porsches and the R8. And, of course, Alpinas. The company never electronically limits the performance of its cars, the only limitations are pure physics.
Take the B6 S for example, it's only just getting into its stride at 250kph. After that, it's still got another 68kph before the supercharged V8, working hard under the bonnet, finally stops being able to overcome the huge aerodynamic drag forces acting on the coupe's body.
I found getting to speeds in excess of 200kph in the B6 S relatively easy, it's just a matter of planting the throttle and holding on. Given space, it'll hit 300kph in a single minute. But, though the car does it without blinking, I had to try and reprogram my brain to keep up.
Hazards are pretty easy to spot at 120kph, but at twice that speed you have to look much further ahead as otherwise what you're focusing on streams by in a blur before you've taken it in.
Traffic is the biggest concern, as the speed difference between me charging along in the outside lane and the trucks chugging away on the inside and what would happen should one pull out without warning doesn't bear thinking about.
The torque delivery of the supercharged engine, coupled with the oh-so-smooth shifting ZF six-speed automatic, makes you wonder whether there's not some huge electric motor powering the rear wheels. But, there's no mistaking that V8 rumble, even if it is muted by the car's excellent sound-deadening.
On wet or dusty roads, the stability control system does go into overdrive to try and keep that colossal 535lb ft chunk of torque in control. A limited slip differential is standard fit, which stops the inside wheel from turning into a cyclic smoke machine should you go into a corner under power.
It also makes tail-out antics pretty easy.
Steering is via a chunky three-spoke affair, complete with Alpina-spec blue and green stitching. It's well weighted around town, although feels a little artificial when cornering.
At high speeds, however the B6 S feels on edge, twitchy even, requiring constant adjustment of your steering line. And when you can easily pound on the kilometres at double the speed limit without the engine feeling like it's making any effort at all, the last thing you need is a steering wheel that's twitchy.
It's not something that affects other big engined, two-door coupes with spectacular acceleration qualities and the ability to cruise for huge distances whilst cosseting their occupants in plush interiors.
It's a market that's surprisingly vast, ranging from the $122,100 Audi R8 to the $180,000 Mercedes CL600 with everything from the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the Maserati Granturismo sitting inbetween.
The main problem with the B6 S is its looks - when you're spending over $150,000 on a car, you don't want it to look ‘aftermarket'. The added-on front bumper splitter and rear spoiler may help to keep the B6 S stick to the road at ridiculous speeds, but they detract from the otherwise smooth looks of the base 6-series.
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