The B8 GT Is Alpina’s Most Powerful Car Ever

Alpina moved underneath the BMW Group umbrella in early 2022 and is working on a completely new lineup scheduled to arrive in the second half of the decade. The preexisting agreement between the two brands will expire at the end of this year, so there’s still time for one more special car from the “old guard.” Meet the B8 GT, the most powerful production car ever produced by the niche marque based in Buchloe.

Echoing the B5 GT before it, the flagship sedan uses an upgraded engine. The twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V-8 has been massaged to deliver 625 horsepower and 627 pound-feet (850 Newton-meters) of torque. It’s an increase of 12 hp and 37 lb-ft (50 Nm) over the regular Alpina B8. At the same time, it’s down by just one horsepower compared to BMW’s most potent gas-only car ever, the 626-hp M5 CS. However, it has an extra 74 lb-ft (100 Nm) compared to M’s super sedan.

The B8 GT perfectly matches the B5 GT’s muscle and only needs 3.3 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h). From 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h), the sprint takes 10.5 seconds before the luxury sedan tops out at 205 mph (330 km/h). Alpina tweaked the eight-speed automatic transmission developed by ZF to handle the extra torque coming from the eight-cylinder engine.

Unlike the BMW M8 Gran Coupe, which uses a real M engine, the “S63,” the B8 GT features the normal “N63” version, so it’s more related to the M850i rather than the full-fat M8. As with the other Alpina models, the idea behind the B8 GT is not to dominate the track like an M car is supposed to but to go extremely fast in utmost comfort on the Autobahn.

Production is capped at 99 units, but only 20 cars will be offered with a two-tone paint scheme combining blue or green with black. All cars get a subtle carbon fiber body kit, which includes a more prominent rear diffuser. Alpina’s timeless Classic forged wheels measure 21 inches and are wrapped around bespoke Pirelli P Zero tires. Beyond the special badging you’d expect from a limited-run special edition, the B8 GT has a full leather interior with wood trim.

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Alpina

The changes are rounded off by a metal insert in the cup holder bearing Burkard Bovensiepen’s signature. Alpina’s founder passed away in October 2023 at the age of 87. In Germany, the B8 GT costs €225,000, or $231,466, at current exchange rates. Should you want the two-tone paint, that’ll command a hefty €11,150 ($11,472) premium. For your money’s worth, Alpina throws in two weekender bags and a matching Swiss watch.