2022 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupé Gives 8 Series A Rare And Lavish Makeover

There's a new Alpina in town, and if you demand serious exclusivity to go along with your luxurious – and fast – new BMW, the 2022 Alpina B8 Gran Coupé may do the trick. Third new model set to arrive in the US after the B7 Sedan and the XB7 SUV, as the name suggests the B8 Gran Coupé is based on BMW's 8 Series in its four-door form.

Now the 8 Series Gran Coupe itself is no slouch, but Alpina makes things even more interesting. Under the hood, the Alpina version packs the 4.4-liter V8 bi-turbo engine, with 612 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque from 2,000 rpm.

It's paired with an 8-speed Sport automatic transmission, which like the V8 has been fettled specially for Alpina's purposes. The result is 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds, and the quarter-mile arrives in 11.5 seconds. Top speed is 201 mph.

What should help make it special, though, isn't just the pace but the soundtrack. Alpina has used its own special sport exhaust system, reducing backpressure for better performance, but also featuring active flaps to temper the sound in Comfort mode but allow it to howl appropriately when you switch into Sport mode.

Similar attention has been paid to the sport suspension system, which also adjusts depending on if you have the car set to Comfort, Normal, Sport, or Sport+ mode. At the front there are hydro mounts on the axle struts, with Eibach springs and stiffer support mounts. Alpina also adds reinforced sway bars, and the Integral Active Steering system. That allows the rear wheels to swivel either in tandem with, or opposite to, the front wheels, maximizing stability during high-speed maneuvers, and reducing the turning circle at lower paces.

All-wheel drive is standard, as is a rear limited-slip differential. Alpina fits the B8 Gran Coupé with special Pirelli tires, with noise-cancelling at the front, on the special 21-inch wheels. They use Alpina's 20-spoke design, and there'll be 20-inch forged wheels available as an option for use with winter and all-season rubber.

Behind are blue brake calipers with white Alpina lettering, with four-piston fixed calipers at the front clamping down on 15.6-inch discs. The rear gets floating brake calipers with 15.7-inch discs. They're not the only styling difference, either. Special front and rear aprons and an Alpina rear spoiler lip are added, and the car will be offered in the company's exclusive Alpina Blue Metallic and Alpina Green Metallic finishes if you don't want one of the more standard hues.

Inside, the 8 Series' already plush cabin gets special door sills and an iDrive rotary controller in crystal glass with a laser Alpina logo. The standard trim is high-gloss Walnut Anthracite, while there's special leather to wrap the steering wheel. BMW Individual extended Merino letter and an Alcantara headliner are standard.

So, too, is a panoramic glass roof, Harman Kardon surround sound system, ventilated and heated front seats, front armrests, and a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, quad-zone climate control, Icon Adaptive LED headlamps with Laserlight, and a full-color head-up display. There's also the 12.3-inch driver display and 10.25-inch center touchscreen for iDrive 7, which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

You get wireless phone charging, WiFi hotspot, lane departure and front collision warnings, automatic city collision mitigation, and gesture-control for the infotainment. Options include a carbon roof, Bowers & Wilkins Diamond audio system, Driving Assistance Package and Driving Assistance Professional Package, and various other interior trim choices.

Pricing will start at $139,900 (plus $995 destination) when it arrives in the US in late-Spring, which leaves it a little more expensive than a 2021 BMW M8 Gran Coupe (at $130,000 plus destination), but less than the M8 Gran Coupe Competition. Of course, part of the Alpina charm is its exclusivity: the company hasn't said how many 2022 Alpina B8 Gran Coupé it'll be bringing to the US, but its annual sales are typically a fraction of those of BMW, meaning it's unlikely you'll see another on the street.