BMW Alpina B8

The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe comes in a fully equipped single trim level that starts at an MSRP of $139,000. The Alpina B8 Gran Coupe gets quite a long list of features as standard with the car. As you do not have any other trim levels to select from, it does not mean you can not customize your car or add features to it. There are optional packages and various optional standalone features available with the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe if you are ready to pay extra. You can also customize your car based on your preferences. But most of the features that you will need in your daily life and more are part of the standard list of features. 

Packages

Driving Assistance Professional package 

• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-keeping assistance
• Evasive steering assist
• Front cross-traffic alert
• Automated lane change
• Extended Traffic Jam Assistant
• Parking Assistant Plus

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The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe comes loaded with all the features that you need in your daily life and more as part of the standard package. You can consider getting the Driving Assistance package and the Driving Assistance Professional package if you have the extra budget otherwise it is not that will spoil the experience of daily driving. You can also consider getting the optional Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system if you want a better music experience with the car. 

The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is based on the BMW M8 Gran Coupe which is known for its performance. The BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. The engine produces an impressive maximum power output of 612 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels. The performance is the biggest highlight of the car. It takes only 3.1 seconds to reach from 0 to 60 mph sprint and the quarter-mile run takes 11.2 seconds. It is marginally slower than the BMW M8 Competition which is also cheaper than the Alpina B8 Gran Coupe but the difference is hardly evident to the driver. The top speed of 201 miles per hour is also quite impressive for the class. 

The 2023 Porsche Panamera Turbo S is the quickest car in the competition taking only 2.6 seconds to reach from 0 to 60 mph. It is also the quickest car in the quarter-mile run taking only 10.9 seconds which is slightly quicker than its rivals. The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S takes the second spot taking 2.9 seconds to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint. The Audi RS7 comes next taking 3 seconds to complete the 0 to 60 mph sprint. The BMW Alpina B8 takes 3.1 seconds to reach from 0 to 60 mph which is slower than both its rivals. But when you look at it in the real-world scenario, the difference is not that much in any of these cars. 

2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe Ride and Handling

The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is quite a heavy car and that shows up when you get behind the wheel of the car. The first thing that you will notice is the lacking feedback from the steering wheel. The steering wheel does not communicate well with the driver and it does not live up to the expectations that you have from a driver’s car. The heavy weight of the car is also evident when you are making the turns. Something like the BMW M8 Gran Coupe comes out as a better-handling car. 

The suspension setup of the BMW Alpina B8 is tuned towards comfort and you will feel that while driving the car on twisty roads. It does not feel stable around the corners and you will need to slow down on tight turns. When you are driving it on straight roads, it will feel more comfortable. But there is some movement at higher speeds when you encounter undulations on the road. The ride quality feels pretty comfortable otherwise. The passengers will not complain about the road undulations filtering through the cabin. 

2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe Braking Performance

The 2023 Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is quite a fast car when you look at its acceleration figure. At the same time, it is also one of the heavier cars in the competition. When you combine both of these scenarios, you can not avoid a strong braking system for your car. The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe comes with a capable braking system that performs pretty well. The BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe comes with 15.6 inches brake rotors in the front and 15.5 inches brake rotors in the rear. It manages to come to a complete halt from 60 mph in just 94 feet which are quite impressive. The 70 to 0 braking distance is not available as of now.

All the cars in the competition are performance-oriented vehicles and come with quick acceleration figures. You do not have to compromise much on the braking performance in any of these cars either. The Audi RS7 is the heaviest car in the competition. It comes with 16.5-inch brake rotors in the front and 14.6-inch brake rotors in the rear. It manages to come to a complete stop from 60 mph in just 101 feet which is quite impressive. The Porsche Panamera Turbo S also comes with a capable braking system but the data for stopping distance is not available for the same. 

The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe comes with a powerful V8 engine that is known for its performance. That obviously takes a hit on the fuel economy figures of the car. The BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe manages to return 17 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg of combined fuel economy. Considering the kind of performance it offers and the weight of the car, the fuel economy figures are quite impressive for the class. It comes with a maximum fuel tank capacity of 18 gallons. That translates to a maximum highway driving range of 432 miles on the highway. The fuel tank capacity feels a bit smaller compared to the rivals.

All the cars in the competition are performance-oriented vehicles so expecting great fuel efficiency figures is only going to disappoint you. The BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe returns the best fuel efficiency figures in the competition. The Audi RS7 on the other hand comes in the last position delivering the least fuel economy figures for the class. The fuel efficiency figures for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S also deliver similar fuel economy figures to the Audi RS7. But it also gets the largest fuel tank capacity in the competition and delivers the maximum highway range of close to 500 miles. The Merc comes in second spot in terms of the driving range offering 443 miles of highway range on a full tank. 

The interior of the 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is more premium than the standard BMW cars for sure in many ways. As you open the door, you will notice the two-tone finish on the door where the upper part gets soft-touch dark materials and the lower part gets light materials. The same finish continues to the dashboard of the car where it gets a combination of dark and light materials. Everywhere you touch feels soft to touch and the quality feels top-notch. The front seats get multiple adjustment options to get a comfortable seating position. The rear seats are also spacious and have plenty of space for two passengers. The seats are very comfortable but the long center console extending to the back means you can only accommodate two passengers in the rear seats. 

The 2023 Audi RS7 gets a more spacious cabin compared to the BMW Alpina B8 for the rear seat passengers. But the story becomes the opposite when you talk about the space in the front seats. But all the cars in the competition get spacious cabins to comfortably accommodate four passengers in the car. The Audi RS7 takes lead with the most spacious cargo area. The Porsche Panamera Turbo S also gets a more spacious cargo area compared to the BMW Alpina B8. The BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe gets a relatively less spacious cargo area compared to its rivals. The AMG GT 63 S comes with the smallest cargo compartment in the competition. 

Standout interior features:

• Bucket front seats
• Leather heated steering wheel
• Driver seat thigh extension
• Multi-level heating front seats
• Ventilated front seats
• Four-zone automatic climate control

2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe Infotainment System

The BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe comes with a sweet-sounding V8 to keep you entertained on the go. But other than that, it comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display. It works on BMW’s latest iDrive 7.0 system. The biggest advantage of the iDrive system is that you can control the screen using multiple input methods. It is a touchscreen panel but other than that you also get voice controls and an iDrive touchpad controller for seamless use of the infotainment screen on the go. It also comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that has all the driver-related information. The infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. You get an optional Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system for music lovers. 

Standout infotainment features:

• 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• 12.3-inch digital instrument display
• iDrive 7.0 system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system
• Navigation system

The BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe comes with a distinctive design language from the outside that differentiates it from the standard BMW models. Starting with the front, you will notice BMW’s trademark laser lighting with LED daytime running lights and LED turn signals on the top of the headlight housing. Moving to the bottom end, you will notice the massive air intakes. The center gets a more conservative kidney grille which is not the case in newer Bimmers. As you move to the side, it gets 21-inch wheels with an Alpina badge in the center. The sloping roofline gives it a sporty look from the side. The rear of the car gets Alpina exclusive spoiler that extends from the tailgate. It also gets an Alpina badge and beautiful LED brake lights at the rear.

The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is the longest car in the competition. It also gets the longest wheelbase compared to the other rivals. The 2023 Mercedes AMG GT 63 S comes in the second position in terms of overall length. The Porsche Panamera Turbo S takes the third spot in length but it is wider than the other two cars on the table. It also gets a longer wheelbase compared to the Audi RS7. The Audi RS7 on the other hand comes out as the most compact car in the competition when you look at the dimensions. However, none of them are small cars and the difference between all these performance sedans is negligible. 

Standout exterior features:

• 21-inch wheels
• Laser light with LED DRLs
• Quad-pipe exhaust outlet
• Wing spoiler
• Remote keyless entry
• LED Brakelights

The 2023 BMW Alpina B98 Gran Coupe is not crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as it is a limited-production car. But talking about safety, that is never a complaint when you see a BMW badge on the car. It gets a solid build with high-strength materials. Other than that, it also gets a long list of standard safety features. It also gets you an extensive range of advanced driver assistance technology as part of the standard package. You can also get the Driving Assistance and Driving Assistance Professional packages to add semi-autonomous driving features along with some more driver assistance technology. 

Safety features include:

• Stability control
• Traction control
• Forward collision mitigation
• Lane departure warning
• Tire pressure monitoring
• Emergency braking assist

2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe vs. 2023 Porsche Panamera Turbo S

The 2023 Porsche Panamera Turbo S comes with quicker acceleration compared to the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe. The Porsche Panamera focuses more on performance than comfort. The case is completely opposite with the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe as it focuses more on comfort and luxury. The Porsche Panamera Turbo S comes with excellent ride and handling. In terms of driving dynamics and fun, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S is a clear winner between the two. But when the comfort factor kicks in, the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe takes a slight edge. The Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is also the cheaper of the two which makes it a better value as it is a limited-production car. 

2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe vs. 2023 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S

The Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S lives up to the expectations that it brings with the AMG badge. It is marginally quicker than the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe in terms of acceleration but the maximum speed remains less than the Bimmer. The Merc feels surprisingly better in terms of handling too. It is the more agile of the two and you do not feel the massive size of the car from behind the wheel. The BMW Alpina B8 is not a bad handler either but when it comes to finding the right balance between ride and handling, the AMG GT 63 S takes the leap. However, the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is a limited-production car and costs less than the Merc so the choice depends on your preference.

2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe vs. 2023 Audi RS7

The 2023 Audi RS7 is also a performance-oriented car but it focuses more on the comfort and convenience of the passengers. Both these sedans are close in terms of performance and both of them give equal importance to the comfort of the passengers. The Audi RS7 comes with a more spacious cabin. It gets more space in the rear seats and the cargo area is also a lot more than the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe. The Audi RS7 also gets better driving dynamics than the Bimmer with agile handling. The Audi RS7 also comes out as a more affordable package between the two. The only reason to get the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe over the Audi RS7 is its exclusivity as it is a limited production car. 

The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is a limited-production performance car that gives equal priority to comfort and luxury. When you look at the overall package that it offers, it manages to do pretty well for the segment. You get an amazing ride comfort and it can comfortably take you to your destination. You do not have to compromise on speed to get that comfort in the cabin. The quality of the cabin will impress the buyers for sure. The cabin gets premium quality materials in both front and rear rows. The space is also not cramped in either row and it gets you enough space to stretch your legs. But when you look at it only from the performance point of view, the more affordable BMW M8 Gran Coupe looks like a more sensible choice. But if you want a limited-production BMW with excellent performance and comfort, the 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is an excellent choice.