2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe First Test: Say Hello to Explosive Luxury

bmw 8-series Full Overview

BMW’s famed M division is synonymous with the German automaker’s performance vehicles. But more nebulous is what Alpina is to the company and what makes cars like the 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe stand out from BMW’s other 8 Series Gran Coupe models.

Germany’s Ministry of Transport recognizes Alpina as an automobile manufacturer in its own right, so there’s a sense of independence to the vehicles it produces based on BMW models. There’s also a kind of intrigue to Alpina, that you must be in the know to understand just what you’re getting with cars like the 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe.

What we know after testing the B8 is that it represents more of what we’ve come to expect from modern Alpinated BMWs—a mix of explosive performance with a luxurious, grand touring sensibility.

Twin-Turbo BMW Power, With More Twist

The engine bay is one of the areas where Alpina tinkers with BMW hardware. Indeed, the B8’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, while a smidge down on power compared to the M8 Competition’s engine variant (612 hp for Alpina versus 617 for the M8), gains a healthy 37 lb-ft of torque versus the M8 at 590 lb-ft all in. The B8’s engine is backed by BMW’s ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic. That transmission is another area where Alpina makes changes, including adding its signature shift paddles, and the car comes with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering as standard equipment.

What that means from a straight-line performance perspective is that the 4,706-pound four-door BMW Alpina B8 steamrolls its way from 0 to 60 mph in a scant 3.2 seconds, which is a tick quicker than the time we recorded for the lighter two-door M8 Competition coupe we tested back in 2020. In the quarter mile, we recorded identical times for the B8 and the M8 at 11.4 seconds, with the B8 delivering a slightly lower trap speed of 123 mph flat. If you want to hear that twin-turbo V-8 get really rowdy, Alpina’s specially designed stainless steel exhaust system will happily oblige. Simply switch it into Sport mode, and its active exhaust flaps will flap their gums with a sonorous siren song.

We had a relatively easy time getting the B8 to motivate. There’s a bit of lag when you mash the go pedal, but thankfully the launch control system eliminates all that. The gearbox is quick and crisp, and the Alpina creates little drama off the line thanks to its AWD.

When it came time to slow down the big B8 battleship, our test team was borderline astonished by how ferociously it came to a halt. At 99 feet from 60 mph to a stop, “tremendous” and “impressive for this fairly large and heavy sedan” were a couple of the notes from the logbook. Anything short of 100 feet is borderline supercar territory.

Dynamic Chops and Luxury Looks

Given how stately the long and swoopy four-door coupe-y 2022 BMW Alpina B8 looks on the outside, with its slightly more aero-efficient bodywork, revised front and rear fascia, and Alpina-signature 20-spoke, 21-inch wheels, it would be easy dismiss it as little more than a straight-line, autobahn-running luxo barge. But you’re wrong to make that assumption.

“Wow, I didn’t know what to expect, but this thing is an absolute thrill ride,” road test editor Chris Walton said. “The all-wheel-drive system works beautifully. It’s clearly rear biased, so you can step the rear end out a few inches and rotate it all the way around the skidpad (steering with the throttle) and then stab the throttle on the exit. It wags its tail just a wee bit, and you shoot across the middle. The steering is well weighted and very precise.”

The numbers back up Walton’s enthusiasm. Any vehicle that can pull more than 1.00 lateral g (average) on the skidpad is impressive, and the Alpina B8 did it one better at 1.01 g. As for our MotorTrend figure eight, a 23.7-second at 0.89 g average lap is far from slouchy. It’s not really a huge surprise, though, as Alpina starts with the very best parts from the 8 Series bin. Alpina does offer a Comfort+ setting on the B8 Gran Coupe’s adaptive damper setup, however, further elevating its status as a cushy, high-speed cruiser compared to its other 8 Series siblings.

Inside, there’s more elevation of the 8 Series aesthetic, with literally every top-shelf option from the 8 Series menu. The standard Alpina interior is done up in Walnut Anthracite high gloss, and the massive, super-thick “Lavalina” leather steering wheel features the Alpina crest. A couple of other Alpina-only touches include illuminated door sills and a fancy-schmancy iDrive controller in crystal glass, both embossed with Alpina’s logo.

Ultimately, the 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is a luxurious grand touring car with fine equipment that can handle its business to 60 mph, 160 mph, or even if you want to have a quick go around a track. And although the B8 is very much an 8 Series, Alpina does just enough to make it feel like its own thing. If you didn’t know what Alpina brought to the table before, consider yourself now in the know.

Looks good! More details?

Keyword: 2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe First Test: Say Hello to Explosive Luxury