With the B8 Gran Coupé, Alpina is setting a counterpoint to station wagons and SUVs. in the model range. We took a trip with the luxurious eight-cylinder.
BMW tuner Alpina has not only manufacturer but also cult status for a long time. Where the BMW program leaves a gap, the engineering team from Buchloe in Ostallgäu comes in and offers a clever solution. Be it a powerful V8 station wagon in the business class at M5 level or an alternative for the discontinued BMW M550d in the 400 hp class - Alpina can help out with the B5 Touring and D5 S. There is a close cooperation with BMW. Alpina modifies the drivetrains, delivers them to BMW, and the Munich-based company builds the vehicles on a production line to order. This is the highest level and has nothing to do with tuning anymore.
Expensive fun
The now presented B8 Gran Coupé all-wheel drive has been the first Alpina model beyond the purely functional class since the mid-range B4 coupés based on the BMW 4 Series were discontinued. The four-door sports sedan with the chic frameless windows and the niche rear appeals more to the heart than to the mind. With the base price of 161.200 euros, the 457 kW / 621 PS strong B8 is poaching in the M8 area (167.400 euros), but has a different focus.
The Alpina, for example, does not have a ceramic brake for tough racing use at all, but the “Comfort Plus” setting is again available under the driving modes to enable dignified suspension comfort that is not provided by BMW in this segment. The Alpina B8 Gran Coupé is the better Gran Turismo in the 600 hp class, while the M8 is the track tool. Driving dynamics specialist Sebastian Rinke explains that with the alpine-specific damper design of the compression and rebound stage, a wider range between commode and sporty tuning is possible. Anyone who regularly drives the racetracks with their B8 should, however, use the perforated brake discs, which cost 1.780 euros, with special pads that are better protected against heat.
Don't make too much noise
A quick tap on the start button and the 4,4-liter eight-cylinder comes to life. When the vehicle is stationary, the direct-injection gasoline engine purrs typically; On the other hand, the alpinists don't really let the V8 thunder, despite the specially developed stainless steel sports exhaust system, although it could, as you can hear on a BMW M850i.
The acoustic restraint is part of the Alpina staging. The discreet spoiler and a distinctive diffuser are the necessary tools to keep the heavy all-wheel drive on the course under highly dynamic maneuvers. What remains is the four-pipe exhaust system integrated neatly in the rear bumper as a sign of sportiness and the decorative stripes that have been glued to this day as a quirky trademark remnant from the wild seventies, as stickers were among the much sought-after in-objects. If you want, you can of course do without the iconic stripes.
Skin you in the seat
But whether you like to make your personal Alpina B8 extroverted or inconspicuous, that doesn't change anything about the relentless propulsion. Even in large gear, the biturbo pushes tremendously. If the driver also lets the eight-speed torque converter downshift with a kickdown, their heads click on the headrests and the stomach reports “free fall”. In case of doubt, the B8 reaches the 100 km / h mark within 3,4 seconds, while propulsion only ends at 324 km / h - an M8 cannot do that even after the 250 km / h limit has been lifted for a fee. Engineer Rinke refers to the tires that were specially developed with Alpina and that bear the “ALP” label.
In contrast to the M models, the Alpinas are not hectic racers for permanent adrenaline. The motto is to cruise confidently, preferably in "Comfort Plus" mode. Then an ultra-fast B8 glides casually over the lane, ironing away bumps as if they didn't even exist and gives the unimpressed kilometer eater. Goodies such as rear-wheel steering, limited-slip differential and roll compensation allow the luxury liner, which is over five meters long, to sweep ambitiously around corners or relax in the tight parking space.
Same special functions as with BMW
Since the Alpina variants are based on the BMW modular system, there is also the full infotainment and technology scope of the basis. Nowadays this includes almost banal things such as the TFT cockpit and a central touchscreen with the option of integrating the smartphone. Top-class features such as the powerful laser light or a night vision camera are also available for a little more than 4.000 euros, analogous to the options at BMW.
But Alpina, the "manufacturer of exclusive automobiles", as it is called on the website, would hardly be Alpina if it did not fulfill (almost) every individual wish in terms of decor and upholstery. The in-house saddlery helps with the latter, famous are the Lavalina cowhide processed here and the hand-sewn leather steering wheels. Of course, an Alpina is only complete with the numbered metal badge, which is not missing in the B8 either and which might make the four-door a coveted collector's item. If you are striving for this, you should definitely go for the € 3.400 lacquer tones Alpina Blue or Alpina Green. Incidentally, not even 8 of the last Alpina, which was based on a BMW 31 Series (E60), rolled off the production line. The Gran Coupé, which has the internal model name G16, will easily exceed this value.
Technical data
Four-door luxury-class coupé, length: 5,09 meters, width: 1,93 meters (2,14 meters with exterior mirrors), height: 1,43 meters, wheelbase: 3,02 meters
B8 Allrad Gran Coupé: 4,4-liter eight-cylinder gasoline engine with direct injection and double turbocharging, 457 kW / 621 PS, maximum torque: 800 Nm at 2.000 to 5.000 rpm, eight-speed automatic (torque converter), all-wheel drive, 0- 100 km / h: 3,4 s, Vmax: 324 km / h, average consumption: 11,1 l, CO2 emissions: 254 g / km, efficiency class: F, emissions standard: Euro 6d, Prices: from € 161.200
In brief
Why: Because it is individualistic, fast and comfortable
Why not: Because the practicality is limited
What else: Audi RS7, BMW M8 Gran Coupé, Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S four-door
When: Sofort
