2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe

The 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is the perfect antidote for those who find the standard BMW 8 series simply inadequate. Here, at Napleton News, we are all about excesses. Whether it’s extra pickles and tomatoes on our Whopper or the Extra Super Big Gulp soda from the convenience store, we are there. When given a chance to test the Alpina B8, we didn’t hesitate to snatch the keys from BMW’s hands. Here’s our report.

What’s an Alpina?

Fresh from Bavaria, Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH & Co. is an auto manufacturer based in Bavaria. Known simply as Alpina, the brand works closely with BMW, incorporating many of its processes into the BMW production line. They are so integrated that the German government considers Alpina an auto manufacturer rather than an aftermarket tuner. Alpina vehicles are sold through authorized BMW dealerships and carry full warranties as you would expect from every other model in the lineup.

But how does this Alpina compare?

Consider the lowly BMW M8 Gran Coupe. It has the brute force that will satisfy most. Equipped to provide 600 horsepower, it also features an active differential that constantly adjusts power heading to each wheel for maximum traction and near supercar 0-60 mph sprint times. That’s 3.0 seconds, in case you were wondering.

But still, that may not be enough. Don’t worry; Alpina is at your service with the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe.

Start with a BMW M8 Gran Coupe and then let Alpina have its way with it. They take the existing twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 that makes 600 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Alpina massages it slightly, tuning it to 612 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Mate it to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. Add a Brembo 4-piston braking kit with 15.7-inch rotors.

Make the ride more comfortable. Give it larger air intakes, a decklid spoiler and Alpina badging. Add all-wheel drive, rear-axle tuning and a limited-slip differential. Tune it to be a capable handler on a mountain road. It then becomes a BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe.

How about inside the 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe?

If we were to be honest, the front seats of the B8 are really where you want to be. With plenty of room for drivers and passengers alike. The rear seats are tighter and may be best for short jaunts around town. Sure, it will carry three people in the back, but only if the middle passenger straddles the rear console. Merino leather is available in both front and rear, along with an Alcantara headliner.

There are details, too, and they include such niceties as a Swarovski Crystal shifter knob, black ash wood trim and ventilated seating. Ours even included a $3,400 Bowers & Wilkins highline sound system.

Firing up the Alpina B8 results in a higher than normal pitch than you would expect from a domestic V8. Imagine something similar to a Formula 1 engine. Once it settles down, idle drops to a respectable level, but it remains ready and able to get on it.

Driving the Alpina B8 Gran Coupe

If you had just jumped out of an M8 Gran Coupe, you would immediately be aware of a great deal more torque in the Alpina B8. That’s because the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 has been tweaked, adding 37 lb-ft of torque over the M8 variant. It’s a brute that offers 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds with a top speed in the neighborhood of 201 mph. At least that’s what Alpina claims. We think in the right hands, it might go quicker.

The Alpina Gran Coupe is the perfect sport sedan for those who love the power and performance of the M8 Gran Coupe, but with a more comfortable ride. Handling is otherworldly thanks to BMW and Alpina’s expertise in negotiating twists and turns, whether on a highway or a mountain road. That’s the 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe.