Here’s the thing, back in the day, everyone considered the Alpina as a cheap alternative to a BMW M-car. The new Alpina B8 is the equivalent of a hoodrat, getting a seat at the high table, and as you’d expect, not many people get happy about overnight shifts in social strata.
But the new Alpina deserves more credit. It’s the pinnacle of its niche manufacturer’s range. They have taken BMW’s best - the stiff, brawny warrior and helped it relax. Rich Duisberg of Carfection takes their latest creation out for a spin.
Alpina might need some introduction. They are a tuner, and a longtime collaborator with BMW, often adding a little bit of zest and spice to BMW’s best. And if your memory serves you right, their first production was the Alpina A1, a development from the BMW E21 that inevitably went racing for 24 hours at the Nurburgring and Circuit de Spa, among others.
In 2013, they took a different approach, switching from race car manufacturing to starting a bespoke luxury line.
Far from their tuning roots, Alpina is now a vehicle manufacturer in their own right. Each of their vehicles comes with its own unique chassis number and is registered in Germany as a manufactured car, not a modified one.
The new Alpina B8 is a stone throw from its predecessors. There’s Lavalina leather, a fat rim steering wheel with two-tone stitching that Duisberg feels is absolutely beautiful.
But still, Alpina and BMW share a good relationship. Therefore, we can’t ignore the fact that the main ingredients come from BMW, even though the engine and suspension are a perfection of Alpina.
Sharing a genus with the 850i, it’s easy to feel the same rear-wheel steer setup that this car has, but the M8 doesn’t.
Under the hood, the Alpina B8 makes 600 BHP and 600 Nm of torque. It will do 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 3.3 seconds. Its efficiency levels are pretty impressive for a big car with a consumption of 27 miles per metric gallon (10.5 l/100 km.
There are quite a few differences compared to the BMW it’s derived from. It comes with a different set of turbos, exhaust, inlet manifold, suspension, dampers, wheels, front and rear bumpers.
What lies under the skin of the Alpina B8 is very different. It’s a highly composed and luxurious, but it’s not a sports car.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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