Comparison: 2024 Alpina B8 and BMW M8 are the Best, Served Two Ways

I have an extraordinary opportunity staring at me, a chance to drive the best from BMW’s 2024 lineup in back-to-back test drives.  And the pair of keys to which I have access couldn’t be more exciting; the Alpina B8 Gran Coupe and M8 Competition coupe are at my beck and call. 

This will be a comparison test to remember!

2024 Alpina B8 Gran Coupe—Dollars and Sense

Some brands like Alpina hail from the realm of “if you know, you know.”  While most might simply recognize the B8 Gran Coupe as a BMW, cognizanti will spot the signature turbine wheels and know that Alpina reworked this car for elevated comfort, luxury, and speed.

Yes, the Alpina B8 Gran Coupe is the BMW 8 Series, elevated.  The B8 shares its skeleton with the BMW M850i and M8 Gran Coupes, but it has a retuned engine for effortless power and a massaged chassis for smooth traveling.  To say I’m excited about my first ever Alpina test drive is an understatement!

Even from the curb, the B8 Gran Coupe has appeal.  The four-door is handsomely dressed in a blue suit and silver shoes.  ALPINA is stamped imposingly on the front splitter, and the grill is elegant and aggressive.  (Thankfully, there’s no M3 mega-schnozz on the 8 Series.)

Luxury fixings are spread thickly across the B8’s interior, leveling up the already-nice 8 Series.  Alpina slathered the cabin with buttery smooth leather that puts other premium upholstery to shame.  The brown-and-cream hides smell delicious and cover the dash, doors and seats. 

As I power up the B8 Gran Coupe and prepare to roll out, I’m reminded that there are some things Alpina can’t remake.  The 8 Series is an older platform, so its iDrive system is a few iterations out of date.  It has separate screens for the gauges and navigation and many physical buttons for radio and HVAC functions.  I prefer this setup to today’s panoramic screens and virtual buttons, but it looks dated.

I hit the road after extricating the B8 from a tight parking spot.  (The rear-axle steering helps shorten the 119” wheelbase.)  My hands stroke the steering wheel, which is wrapped in soft leather.  When my fingers brush the back of the wheel, I discover that Alpina has replaced the shift paddles with itty-bitty shift buttons.  The buttons are so small that Alpina must not expect drivers to furiously click through gears while cornering aggressively!

My test route takes me through forested neighborhoods above the Pacific Ocean.  At 45 mph, I can hear but a whisper of road noise in the cocoon-like cabin.  The subdued growl of the V8 rises when I prod the throttle.

The B8 uses BMW’s twin-turbocharged 4.4L V8.  This belter of a motor is relaxed when driven in Comfort mode.  When I squeeze the gas, the turbos take a moment to gather their wits before they huff and puff.  

But in Sport Plus mode, the V8 becomes loud and aggressive, with sharp throttle responses.  Even half-throttle causes the B8 to rapidly whisk me through the woods.  With 612 horses on tap, the B8 hoofs it!

The road twists and turns back towards the sea.  The B8 Gran Coupe confidently conquers the curves, obediently following my inputs while keeping body roll in check.  The B8’s handling is like a highly competent butler: “Let me get that for you, sir!” As I whip the car around corners, I feel more like an amazed observer of the B8’s chops than the superstar director of the action.

That is because the suspension and steering don’t bother me with annoying reminders about the imperfect pavement; the B8 filters out and hides the cracks and bumps.  And yet, the Gran Coupe steers precisely, and its chassis is well-controlled through challenging corners.  Clearly, wafting drives are befitting of the B8 Gran Coupe’s character.  (And befitting of the neighborhood, too.)  I revert to Comfort mode and enjoy a hushed glide past the mansions.

And enjoy, I do.  The B8’s seats are equal to its suspension for their comfort.  They have pillowy, soft padding and supportive sculpting.  I struggle to think of a better driver’s throne for my bony bum.

At the end of my ten-minute test drive, I am extremely impressed by Alpina’s 8 Series makeover. The M850i Gran Coupe was already on my greatest cruisers list, and Alpina kept its best characteristics—a brawny V8, plush suspension and slinky styling—and slathered it in material and mechanical luxuries that make it even more comfortable and cosseting.  And while the B8 Gran Coupe offers performance that can only be exploited on a derestricted Autobahn, its comfort and sound can be enjoyed on an LA commute or trans-USA trip.

Yes, the car’s $150k MSRP makes it a pricey luxury cruiser, but if you have the dollars, the Alpina B8 Gran Coupe makes a lot of sense. 

But is it worth its $10k premium over the M8 Competition?

2024 BMW M8 Competition—Polished Thunder

As I plop down in the M8 Competition, I’m coming off my biggest driving high of the year. Yes, my ten minutes of wafting bliss in the Alpina B8 easily shot the Gran Coupe to the top of my charts.  It was an experience that the M8 will be hard pressed to beat.

However, the M8 Competition has a chance as it is the M division’s ultimate take on the 8 Series.  I loved, loved, loved the 8 Series as the BMW M850i coupe and four-door, and I just hope the M treatment hasn’t spoiled the M850i’s exceptional comfort in the pursuit of speed.

The mission difference between the Alpina B8 and the BMW M8 is apparent even before I fire up the M8.  The B8 was smartly stitched and tailored, seemingly ready for a night at the opera.  The M8 hankers for a race track, with swaths of carbon fiber and aggressively red M buttons jutting out from the girthy steering wheel.  Those little triggers are begging me to unleash the M8’s nuclear performance.

The M8’s tight grip on my torso is another indication that the car wants me to go FAST.  Unlike the gentle cuddle of the B8’s driver’s seat, the M8 has prominent side bolstering that should hold me in place through slingshot corners.  Though made for speed, the seat is still well-padded and very comfortable.

I fire up the M8 and chuckle at the prominent rumble from the twin-turbo 4.4L V8.  The M8 makes 617 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque—5 hp more and 40 lb-ft less than the B8’s similar V8.  The difference in output may be due to brand philosophies: Alpina likes low-end torque for its everyday usability, while M values the high-RPM power for track prowess.  Seeing as I’m in a ritzy residential neighborhood and not on a circuit, it’s unlikely I’ll be able to tell the +5 hp / -40 lb-ft difference.

The M8 rumbles with a throaty V8 thrum as I pull out of the parking lot; it doesn’t hide its potential like the B8 did.  When I find a deserted stretch of road, I stomp on the throttle and rip through the gears.  The engine tone sharpens, the V8’s roar fills the cabin, and a hilarious bass-drum “whump” announces each upshift.  Lifting off the gas, a distant roll of thunder comes from the tailpipes.  The rapid acceleration and gloriously aggressive soundtrack get my blood pumping.

I can see the road twisting into the woods ahead of me; it’s my first opportunity to sample the M8’s handling!  I jab the M2 button twice to engage kill mode, then guide the M8 through the curves.  The heavy steering directs the coupe’s nose with grace and precision.  I can sense the M8’s substantial weight (4251 lbs per Car and Driver), but the car still feels accurate and agile.

Happily, for me, road texture percolates through the steering and seat.  These textures are an essential ingredient in my sporty driving enjoyment, and the Alpina B8 filtered them out in the pursuit of luxury.

The curves open into a mile of straight and boring road.  Well, it would be boring, but the M8 is goading me to stand on the gas!  Its vicious acceleration and rising V8 growl are addictive, and its big shift paddles are fun to flap.  When I need to scrub speed, the brake response from the six-piston calipers and ceramic rotors is reassuringly immediate, if a little touchy.

Eventually, I calm down and put the car into Comfort mode.  The steering lightens and the suspension slackens, and many of the road’s impacts melt away.  While the M8 doesn’t magically vanish bumps like the B8, it is still very comfortable and perfectly attuned to daily driving.

Technophiles may bemoan that the M8, like the B8, uses an older generation of iDrive, but I prefer its hard buttons to the virtualized buttons of the newer iX and i4.  While the modern onscreen controls make for a cleaner cabin appearance, I find the older system easier to operate.

It is the last leg of my test drive, and I want to have more fun.  I put the coupe back in M2 and then punch the gas as I pull away from a Y junction.  The M8 throws me back into the seat as we rocket forward, the rear tires scrabbling for grip.  Our trip to the moon lasts but two seconds—with me guffawing wildly—before my license-preservation instinct kicks in, and I scrub the speed.  The M8 has xDrive AWD but retains RWD dynamics: it overpowers the rear traction before shifting torque to the front.

The test route has one final series of S-turns.  I hustle the car through the corners, and the M8 reacts with pointy precision, resisting roll and keeping composure.  When the corner opens, the M8 tempts me to floor the long pedal until we are deep into the triple digits.  If only I were on a secluded back road where I could untap this brawny BMW’s potential!

When my drive concludes, I’m relieved that the M8 hasn’t lost the M850i’s V8 humor or daily comfort.  The M8 Competition is as good at excitement as the Alpina B8 was at luxury.

This generation of 8 Series wraps soon, but it just means that BMW has polished it to perfection.  I adore the Alpina B8, but I’d take the M8 Competition because it better matches my sporting proclivities.  Yes, the $140k M8 is a spectacular provocateur of my antisocial behind-the-wheel vices.  I’d love to have it for a week…or for a year!