Most ALPINA products are so different from their BMW M Division counterparts, there’s a distinct and unique reason for buying each. However, with the ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe and BMW M8 Gran Coupe, the two cars are so similar in their objectives that one can make the other obsolete. In this new video from Carfection, we get to see if they feel that the ALPINA is the better car than the M8.
On paper, both cars are very similar. They’re obviously both built on the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe but feature upgraded suspensions, bigger brakes, and much higher performance. Both cars use 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8s, thought the ALPINA’s is a modified N63 engine from the M850i and the M8’s is a proper M Division S63 engine. Still, both cars make very similar power outputs: the ALPINA makes 600 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque and the M8 Competition makes 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. Both cars use the same eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
The biggest mechanical differences between both cars are their suspension setups. The BMW M8 Gran Coupe is set up to be a bit firmer and more capable. While the ALPINA B8 is set up to be a bit softer and more comfortable over long journeys. The ALPINA also gets rear-wheel steer, while the M8 does not.
If you’ve driven both the BMW M8 Gran Coupe and the ALPINA B8, you’d know that they feel surprisingly similar but the latter car just has a bit more sophistication, a bit more luxury, and it feels a bit more special. There’s something so incredibly cool about a car that’s actually faster than its M car equivalent (the ALPINA B8 is rated for 201 mph), while also being more comfortable and more interesting to drive. Carfection reckons the B8 is better than the M8 and I’d have to agree.
