Alpina B8 Gran Coupé 2024 review – four-door GT eyes Porsche Panamera Turbo

With over 800 examples sold since its launch in 2022, the B8 Gran Coupé is an important model for Alpina. Primarily sold to the US market, it’s an understated alternative to the likes of the Bentley Continental GT and Mercedes-AMG GT63, with a focus on luxury and dynamic ability. So where BMW’s M8 Competition Gran Coupé has always seemed somewhat redundant in a world in which M5s exist, the more luxurious and more road-biased B8 makes a much clearer case for itself.

Which is exactly what Alpina intended. With effortless power, a class-leading top speed and distinctive yet discreet styling, the B8 is intended to be a go-to long-distance tool. Based on the BMW M850i, it comes with a development of that car’s 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged N63 V8, a revised peak power output of 612bhp putting it just 4bhp behind Munich’s M8 Competition, and peak torque of 590lb ft some 37lb ft stronger. 

> Alpina B4 Gran Coupé review

This new-found potency comes courtesy of an uprated turbocharging system, which in turn is bolstered by bespoke radiators with 50 per cent more surface area to ensure engine temperatures remain stable, plus improved cooling of the eight-speed ZF automatic to allow for that torque bump. With power sent through BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, a brisk 3.4sec 0-62mph time is claimed – two-tenths behind the M8 Competition – while the absence of a speed limiter puts 201mph on the cards. In the saloon class only the 650bhp, W12-engined Continental GT goes faster, topping out at 208mph.

Having recently sampled Alpina’s B5 GT, the B8 Gran Coupé feels an entirely different prospect. With an even greater focus on pampering its passengers, its tastefully trimmed cabin is more akin to what you’d find in a Bentley than a BMW, with truly excellent build quality and materials. Branded door sills, new aluminium shift paddles and other subtle Alpina touches are scattered throughout, but the cabin can be completely reupholstered to the buyer’s liking, with everything from the lurid to the restrained entirely possible. 

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Despite its supercar-troubling performance, the B8’s exterior design is as understated as we’ve come to expect from Alpina. Building on the M850i, a new front splitter, rear diffuser and boot-mounted lip spoiler are the key giveaways. You may also notice the enlarged lower front intakes that ensure an ample flow of cooling air to that uprated engine, while within the aforementioned diffuser are the quad-exit tips for the new exhaust system. And, of course, it wouldn’t be an Alpina without those trademark 20-spoke wheels, here in a 21-inch diameter.

Zandvoort is the location for our test, and while a fascinating circuit to drive, it’s not exactly the natural home for a B8. Nevertheless, once underway the B8 offers some of the same confidence-inspiring grip and stability as the B5 GT, handling Zandvoort’s tricky, high-speed banked sections without an issue. What the track does expose, however, is the car’s weight. At 2100kg, the B8 Gran Coupé is 120kg heavier than the already-hefty B5 GT. Of course, kerb weight is hardly a priority in a luxury grand tourer, but when combined with a less rear-driven configuration than we’d perhaps like, it does contribute to a dose of understeer when the chassis is under pressure. Compounding the issue is a lack of off-centre steering precision, with the overly thick steering wheel rim delivering very little in the way of feel.

All-wheel drive and an output in excess of 600bhp will always be a recipe for strong straight-line performance, and the B8 is no exception to this rule, even if its mass does rob it of some of the urgency of similarly powerful rivals. Braking, meanwhile, is handled by four-piston front calipers and floating rear calipers acting upon 395mm and 398mm discs respectively, which should be more than adequate for spirited road driving, if not quite up to dealing with extended track sessions.

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Chassis-wise, a set of Eibach springs are matched with adaptive dampers, with Alpina utilising new hydro mounts for the front struts to further enhance the ride quality. For the same reason, the bespoke Pirelli tyres feature sound-insulating foam on the front axle to eliminate undesirable frequencies. Said tyres are 245 and 285-section front and rear respectively, with a profile of just 30 all-round thanks to the large diameter of those forged alloys. Though this set-up provides the classic Alpina image, such minimalist sidewalls could be a brave choice on UK roads, if not for concerns over punctures and buckled wheels then for their effect on ride quality. That said, many an Alpina has defied the expectations engendered by its wheel and tyre package, and the refinement during our test – with that ‘on track’ caveat once again – is indeed impressive.

The B8 Gran Coupé isn’t as driver-focused as Alpina’s B4 or B5 GT, but with even more refinement, luxury and an abundance of useable performance, there’s no doubt it nails its GT brief. Priced from £140,300, it costs almost £30,000 more than the 523bhp M850i it’s based on, but is a negligible £2800 more than the similarly powerful BMW M8 Competition. Porsche’s Panamera Turbo S (621bhp) is only £1100 more expensive, but lacks the exclusivity of the B8 and isn’t a match inside, while a Bentley Continental GT offers considerably less on-paper performance for the money, the 542bhp V8 model beginning at just under £200,000. Viewed in those terms, the B8 Gran Coupé’s popularity starts to make an awful lot of sense.

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Price and rivals

The B8 Gran Coupe isn’t as driver-focused as Alpina’s B4 or B5 GT, but with even more refinement, luxury and an abundance of useable performance, there’s no doubt it meets its GT brief. Priced from £140,300, it comes at a £4710 premium to the BMW M8 Competition GC, and almost £30,000 more than the M850i it’s based on.

Stack it up against the £145,900 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid and things don’t seem so dire, with the likes of the Bentley Continental GT offering considerably less on-paper performance for the money – the 542bhp V8 model starts at just under £200,000. As Alpina moves towards its 2025 contract with BMW, we’d say it’s wise to embrace these eccentric models while they’re still around...

Alpina B8 Gran Coupé specs