In this video, we take a closer look at the latest offering from ALPINA: The B8 Gran Coupe. The first ever B8 Gran Coupe was unveiled last month and it is arguably the best looking car in their current lineup. It has the trademark ALPINA design treatment applied to it and, in this case, they work beautifully with the shapes of the four-door coupe body style.
Obviously, the ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe starts life as a BMW M850i Gran Coupe but after the team at ALPINA is done with it, the B8 is a more refined machine. For starters, the BMW 4.4 liter twin-turbocharged V8 is taken out, torn down, and fitted with a ton of new kit. The usual ALPINA engine treatment involves replacing the pistons, intercooler, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, fitting larger twin-scroll turbochargers, and giving it its own bespoke tune.
All of which combines to make 612 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. While that isn’t a drastic improvement over the M850i’s engine (523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft) on paper, the two engines feel drastically different on the road, as judged by the ALPINA B7 and XB7. The ALPINA version is smoother, more responsive, packs a bigger punch, and even sounds better. The latter of which is amplified by an ALPINA-specific stainless steel exhaust system, designed to enhance the sound of the big V8.
The ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe wouldn’t be a proper ALPINA without the usual styling upgrades. On the outside, it gets aggressive lower front air intakes, a new front splitter with “ALPINA” on it, a gloss black rear diffuser, quad exhausts that sit neatly in the rear bumper, and a subtle rear spoiler. The car in this video is also wearing a lovely and iconic shade: ALPINA Blue Metallic. Inside, the cabin is covered in swathes of rich leather, with the steering wheel wrapped in ALPINA’s signature LAVALINA leather.
Prices start at $139,900 and for that kind of money you get one of the best cars in the current BMW/ALPINA families.
