Alpina is preparing for change the only way it knows how—with a lot of horsepower.
The German tuner has just unveiled the B8 GT, its heavily upgraded take on the current BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe. The muscular four-door is expected to be the shop’s final model before it officially becomes a sub-brand operated by the German luxury marque.
Anyone familiar with German performance cars knows that BMW and Alpina go way back. In 2022, the automaker decided it was time to take things to the next level and acquired the tuner, which is based out of Buchloe. The preexisting agreement the two companies had at the time of the deal runs through at the end of this year, at which point Alpina will focus on developing a completely new lineup of vehicles expected to debut later this decade.
Inside the Alpina B8 GT
Alpina
Before then, we get what some outlets are referring to as the “last true Alipina,” the B8 GT. The tuner’s latest is a tribute to its founder, the late Burkard Bovensiepen, and is powered by the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 found in the B5 GT. The shop has worked its usual magic on the mill, upping output to 625 hp and 627 ft lbs of torque. Those figures make the B8 GT the most powerful car in Alpina history. The new model has slightly less horsepower than the 627-hp M5 CS, BMW’s most potent gas-powered model, but 74 more ft lbs of torque.
The upgraded mill, which is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, produces enough might to push the super sedan from zero to 62 mph in just 3.3 seconds and zero to 124 mph in 10.5 seconds. Top speed, meanwhile, comes out to 204 mph.
Alpina, like Mercedes-Benz’s AMG sub-brand, is focused on more than just the mechanical side of things. The B8 GT has also been dressed up in a subtle carbon-fiber body kit that gives it a little more bite, especially in the rear, where there is a new diffuser. It is also available with the option of a two-tone paint job that pairs Alpina Blue or Alpina Green with Sapphire Black, features special badging, and rides on a 21-inch set of the tuner’s trademark forged wheels. Open the doors and you’ll find a full leather interior, wood trim, and Bovensiepen’s signature on the center console and the backs of the front seat rests.
Alpina plans to build 99 examples of the B8 GT, only 20 of which will feature a dual-color finish. Pricing for the powerful four-door starts at €225,000, or roughly $232, 000, but be prepared to pay an extra $11,000 if you spring for the special paint job.
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Credit: robbreport.com
