Skip advert
Advertisement

2022 Alpina B8 Gran Coupe revealed as 201mph flagship saloon

Alpina has applied its tricks to the 2022 BMW M850i Gran Coupe, bringing more power and tweaked design to the V8-powered four-door

Following Alpina's relaunch of the B8 nameplate last year, the German tuner has now applied the same upgrades to BMW's facelifted 2022 M850i Gran Coupe. Designed to be a more subtle alternative to the M8 Competition, order books are open now with prices starting from the same £134,950.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Under the bonnet is the same 4.4-litre N63 twin-turbocharged V8 as the M850i, but tweaks to the turbocharging and cooling systems yield an additional 90bhp and 37lb ft. As such, its 613bhp and 590lb ft of torque are only 9bhp down on the M8 and matching its peak torque figure, and make for a brisk 3.4sec 0-62mph time – an improvement of three tenths over standard. The standard speed limiter has also been removed, bumping top speed from 155mph to 201mph.

> 2022 BMW M3 Touring: release date, specs and rivals

With an increase in power comes the requirement for improved heat management, and so Alpina has fitted bespoke intercoolers with 50 percent more cooling surface area and provided the 8-speed ZF automatic with an uprated transmission oil cooler.

As with all Alpina models, the B8’s setup is focussed on comfort and on-road performance, fettling the M850i’s suspension setup accordingly. This includes detailed engineering changes such as new hydro mounts for the front struts which improve ride comfort, with new Eibach springs and adaptive dampers part of the package. 

The B8’s design is typical of Alpina, with only subtle changes setting it apart from the ordinary 8-series Gran Coupe. Below the familiar M Sport front bumper and new illuminated kidney grilles is a more aggressive splitter, with a boot-mounted lip spoiler, new diffuser and quad exhaust tips fitted at the rear. 21-inch Alpina Classic 20-spoke wheels are the sole wheel option, wrapped in 245-section front, 285-section rear Pirelli rubber and available in silver, grey and gloss black. Nestled behind are four-piston, 395mm Brembo front brakes with a floating calliper, 398mm setup at the rear.

BMW’s Individual Merino leather, heated seats and a Harmon Kardon sound system are equipped as standard, but browse the configurator and you’ll find a number of ways to drive price skywards. The trademark Alpina Green metallic paintwork can be optioned alongside a unique blue shade for £3175, with an expanded range of BMW Individual colours now on the menu for 2022.

Though it’s far from short on options out of the box, an even more luxurious ‘Lavalina’ leather finish can be optioned, with entirely custom interior colour schemes available at further cost. Alpina branded illuminated door sills, aluminum shift paddles, a glass iDrive controller and more come as standard.

Order books are open now with prices starting from £134,950, a £40,000 premium over the M850i and over £10,000 more than the M8 Competition. First cars are expected to hit the road in May.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Alpina’s B3 and B4 GT are more potent and more luxurious than the new BMW M3
Alpina B3 and B4 GT
News

Alpina’s B3 and B4 GT are more potent and more luxurious than the new BMW M3

Alpina has launched special GT variants of its popular B3 and B4 models, giving them more power, fettled dynamics and design tweaks for 2024
5 Jun 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Audi RS3 v Toyota GR Yaris v Mercedes-AMG A45 S – car pictures of the week
Hot hatch test
Features

Audi RS3 v Toyota GR Yaris v Mercedes-AMG A45 S – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo, we test three of the most sophisticated hot hatches on sale against each other on road and track – these are our favourite…
29 Mar 2025
Honda Civic Type R (FN2) – the car world's greatest misses
Honda Civic Type R FN2
Features

Honda Civic Type R (FN2) – the car world's greatest misses

Its lineage contains some hot hatch greats, but the late-noughties Civic wasn’t one of them
26 Mar 2025
Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 review – an MX-5 with Honda VTEC power
Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 – front
Reviews

Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 review – an MX-5 with Honda VTEC power

A screaming 296bhp Honda VTEC engine and a full chassis upgrade package turn the NC-generation Mazda MX-5 into something altogether more thrilling
25 Mar 2025