2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe

The 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is Alpina's take on what the M8 Gran Coupe is supposed to be; it provides nearly the same power and performance as the M8 GC, but without the harsh ride and with the emphasis firmly on comfort, luxury, and exclusivity. Its 612-hp 4.4L V8 is only 5 hp down on an M8 GC's, but there's 37 lb-ft more torque, more luxurious materials and finishes, and an altogether more elegant and dignified approach, inside and out. Alpina believes this is more in keeping with the philosophy of the Gran Coupe; it's meant for the owner who won't be so vulgar as to take his big four-door BMW sedan on a track. Why would you be so uncouth when you can opt for the regal bearing of the Alpina B8 and still embarrass many a supercar in a straight line?

Helping harness the power is the standard BMW xDrive AWD system with Alpina calibration and, unlike the M8 GC, the Alpina won't let you disconnect the front wheels and do lairy rear-wheel-drive burnouts. In terms of comfort, it acts more according to the Audi RS7's playbook, but with a dollop more luxury, and a lot more exclusivity. It nails the luxury performance brief with aplomb and plots its own course, with a character quite distinct from the 'regular' M8 Gran Coupe. The 2023 Alpina B8 model goes on sale in the USA at an MSRP of $144,900.

With the base price of the new 2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe starting at $144,900 before any extras or the $995 destination fee, it is around $11,000 more expensive than the regular M8 Gran Coupe. If $145k sounds expensive, it's worth noting that the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe's MSRP is less than what the new Mercedes-AMG GT63 four-door will retail for.

The 2023 Alpina B8 Gran Coupe rides and handles more like a normal Gran Coupe than an M8, which means superb comfort and compliance with none of the spikiness of an M8 on rough surfaces. Even on its standard 21-inch wheels, ride comfort is excellent. The downside is that handling is not as good as an M8, but that is hardly the goal with cars that get the Alpina treatment. It hangs on gamely but is not as sharp and does not respond as quickly to steering inputs, but it's not meant for hooning and does not feel at home on a track. Instead, the Alpina B8 prefers cruising the boulevards in near silence. Prodigious grip and four-square AWD traction keep it planted and safe in the most treacherous weather and on the worst roads, but without the brittle edge of an M8. That also means you don't get the sense of fun or the smoking-tires antics of the M8's drift mode, however. It's more grown-up and more comfortable, and all the better for it.

The Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is a lot different from the M8 Gran Coupe it's based on, but we think that makes it a better car overall. It has a wider spread of abilities than the hard-riding M8 GC, which makes it a more livable car to own. It's lost that unremitting track focus, but who takes their four-door 8 Series on a track anyway? The two-door M8 Coupe is better for the track, or even better yet, get a Porsche 911. Where the Alpina B8 excels is in doing the job of a very rapid sedan that you can actually live with on a daily basis. It's smooth, indecently fast, and supremely polished. Above all, it's exclusive, and the subtle styling changes, gorgeous Alpina wheels, and decadent interior finishes will remind you why you're shelling out a premium that matches that designation. In a straight comparison, BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe competitors such as the Audi RS7 do most things just about as well for significantly less cash, but cannot touch the Alpina for the irresistible draw of low production numbers that will ensure you have the only one in your suburb.

There is only one trim to choose from, so it depends on how you spec it. All the things we like, except for one, cost nothing extra. The no-cost options we'd include are the Alpina Green paintwork, the Ivory White Extended Merino leather, and the color-coded Alcantara headliner. To that, the only paid extra we'd add is the Driving Assistance Professional package for $1,800. Specced like this and with the destination charge included, this brings our grand total to $147,695.