2025 BMW ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe

How does the ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe drive? Right out of the gate, thrust from the Alpina's 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine is immense. Thanks to 612 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, the B8 scoots from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. That's slightly quicker than the M850i Gran Coupe but a tick slower than the M8 Gran Coupe. If you're going to go fast, you're going to need exceptional brakes, and the B8 has them. Massive Brembo calipers clamp down on equally huge steel discs, stopping the B8 from 60 mph in 94 feet. For a car that weighs 4,715 pounds and is geared more toward luxury than all-out performance, that is nothing short of exceptional.

All that weight, though, shows up quickly once you start driving up twisty roads. You can really feel the mass of the B8, and the steering simply doesn't offer nearly enough feedback for the Alpina to be considered a driver's car. Even though hustling this luxury barge down a backroad can be fun, there are other high-dollar performance luxury cars that are better for the job. Instead, the Alpina is about comfort, and it crushes that purpose no matter whether you're in the city or cruising down an interstate.

How comfortable is the ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe? This BMW doesn't have a single M badge on it, and that means all sporting pretense is gone. The Alpina is all about continent-cruising comfort, and it excels. The seats are covered in soft Merino leather and are exceptionally comfortable, and they're adjustable in more than a dozen ways. The cabin is always whisper-quiet regardless of speed. Even the B8's ride quality, despite the oversized 21-inch wheels, is excellent.

The B8 was designed to get you and a few of your friends from wherever you are to wherever you want to be exceptionally quickly without a moment of discomfort. It's a grand tourer through and through, and it lives up to expectation almost faultlessly. If we had to nitpick we'd say the Alpina's Comfort Plus drive mode can be a little too floaty, but you don't need to use it.

How’s the interior? BMW's interiors have been cold and technical in recent years, but the B8 finally restores some much-wanted luxury. Yet the conversion to an Alpina doesn't upset the standard 8 Series' good ergonomics. The seating position itself is spot-on, and there's plenty of adjustment range for the seat and the steering column.

Even though it's a very low-slung four-door coupe, visibility isn't too bad, though the view out of the rear window is definitely compromised. Inside you'll find plenty of legroom for up to five passengers, but headroom in the back is limited, so you might want to put your taller friends up front.

The Alpina's BMW iDrive system isn't the most intuitive to learn. However, once you've become acquainted with it, it works well and doesn't distract from driving duties. A dial controller and touchscreen provide much-appreciated redundant control. In contrast, Audi and Porsche have gone touchscreen-only.

How’s the storage? Despite its sleek shape, this long and lean coupe offers a usable amount of trunk space — 15.5 cubic feet of free air to be exact. It neatly splits the difference between competitors like the Porsche Panamera and Mercedes-Benz AMG GT. The Alpina's 40/60-split rear seats do allow for the loading of longer items like multiple bags of golf clubs. Because the whole car is quite low, the load lip is too, and hands-free operation of the trunk makes loading easier.

Interior storage in the B8 is just about adequate, though you're likely to run out of room if you're carrying a lot of small items. There are four cupholders up front that only fit medium-size bottles, with a center console that's nice and deep for larger items. There is also a small cubby beneath the center stack where you can hide away smaller items, and it features a wireless charging mat for your smartphone.

Is the ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe a good value? Is the Alpina B8 worth the $150,000 asking price? That's entirely up to those who can afford it, but there are very few cars that so seamlessly meld understated luxury and barnstorming performance as well as the B8 does. As well-built as a Mercedes S-Class, as quick as some supercars and beautiful to behold, the B8 almost makes you think roughly $150,000 is a bit of a bargain.

BMW's three years/36,000 miles of free maintenance and four years of roadside assistance are on par with competitors' coverage in this segment. The basic and standard drivetrain warranties both extend to four years/50,000 miles.