2023 BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe Interior and Cargo

The interior colors in the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe's palette are more extensive than that of the super sedan it's based on. Among the standard no-cost Extended Merino leather choices are Ivory White, Black, Night Blue/Black, Tartufo/Black, Fiona Red/Black, and Cognac. Full Merino leather can be specified for an extra $2,000 in the same six colors, in addition to Ivory White/Night Blue and Ivory White/Tartufo. Whereas the trim in the M8 GC can be had in one of four choices, the B8 offers seven. These include Fineline Copper Wood, Ash Grain Grey-Metallic Wood, Aluminum Dark Trace, Carbon Fiber, two BMW Individual finishes called Piano Black and Ash Black Silver Wood, and one Alpina-exclusive option called Alpina Walnut Nature Black. None of these will cost you any extra.

The dashboard is covered in Nappa leather with contrast stitching, and the headliner comes in Dark Anthracite Alcantara by default, but you can have it color-matched to your upholstery at no extra charge (and some interior color schemes require it). The steering wheel is hand-finished in Alpina Lavalina leather. Special Alpina floor mats are standard. The glass gear shifter, iDrive Controller, and Start/Stop button that are optional on other BMWs are standard in the Alpina B8.

Since it caters to four adult passengers, one would imagine the trunk space of the BMW Alpina B8 Gran Coupe with all its seats in use to be of a reasonable size, but this is not the case. Had it been the same 14.8 cubic feet as the Coupe's trunk volume, it would already have been marginal for four people's luggage, but the 11 cubic feet available pales in comparison with the Audi RS7's 25 cubic feet. The rear seat splits and folds 40/20/40 to expand the luggage compartment, but it is obviously at the expense of passenger capacity.

Interior storage space is fairly well catered for and, besides the roomy glovebox, there is also some center-console storage. Under the lid ahead of the center console are two cupholders. The door pockets aren't huge, but there is one in each of the four doors, and rear-seat passengers have access to front seatback pockets too.

Standard equipment largely mirrors the M8 Gran Coupe, but even more items are standard in the B8. These features include automatic LED/laser headlights with automatic high beams, soft-close doors, keyless entry and start, remote start, heated and power-folding side mirrors, and rain-sensing wipers. Inside, it has a 12-volt charging outlet, two front and two rear USB charging ports, a rearview camera, auto-dimming interior and driver-side exterior mirrors, a reverse auto-tilting passenger-side side mirror, and four-zone automatic climate control. The new twin 12.3-inch displays are standard on the 2023 B8, with Live Cockpit Professional and navigation, a head-up display, a Wi-Fi hotspot with a three-month, 3-GB trial, and wireless charging. A power tilt-and-telescope steering wheel tilts up automatically so the driver can get in and out more easily is also factory fitted. The 16-way electrically adjustable front seats are heated and ventilated, while the rear perches get standard heating. The steering wheel and armrests are also heated, and the cabin is finished off with crystal glass controls.

Various Active Guard driver-assistance features are included in the B8, notably adaptive cruise control, front-collision warning, automatic emergency city braking, lane-departure warning, an accident-preparation system, post-crash braking, driver-fatigue alert, and an anti-theft alarm. Additional driver assists such as lane-keep and lane-change assist, automated steering assist, cross-traffic alert, traffic-jam assist, and an evasion aid cost extra.

For 2023, both the digital gauge cluster and infotainment touchscreen measure 12.3 inches. Infotainment functions can be accessed by either tapping the screen or operating the iDrive Controller. Included features are full smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, programmable bookmarks, Bluetooth, and a 16-speaker 464-watt Harman Kardon audio system. The latter can be upgraded to a 1,400-watt Bowers & Wilkins system with the same number of speakers for $3,400.