Just got back from German/Austrian vacay with the wife and family. You have to get yourself in a car like this and drive these roads. It is life changing! Lol. Thanks for another great video!
Matt you summed it up perfectly calling it stealth wealth and a fine tailored suite and you definitely have matured in your summary description. Well done video matt thank you!
Great video, lovely road. I know it wouldn't have been a one take but would have liked to see some of the autobahn drive you kept referencing in the video.
As a European I am super glad you got to show your large audience how some of our B roads look like over here! I am glad you briefly talked about the cultural context of this car as well, helps you realize why it might be more useful on European highways as opposed to the ones in the US given the lack of speed enforcement here. Hope you enjoyed your trip, I hope you get to film more videos around here in the future.
*German Highways Anywhere else in Europe and you're going to prison for using anymore that 6/10ths of this performance. I think Switzerland would probably turn you away at the border if they knew this things potential. $4000 fine and a ban for going 144kph in a 90kph zone 😭
@@starfox_wr-45e93 I know what I said:) Going east from Germany to Prague the highway has great tarmac and very low traffic. You can safely do 160-180 kmh and barely notice you're not in Germany anymore. But you're right, if you get clocked in doing over 180 kmh, say goodbye to your driving license
If you watch UA-cam a lot you got to go with premium. Totally worth it since I watch UA-cam more then any other movie sub channel Disney hbo Netflix. I'm on UA-cam more then any of those combined. Totally worth the premium.
I second this, Premium is very worth it to me personally as i use YT daily. You can always use the fast forward feature to skip the channel specific sponsors that don’t apply to you. It becomes habit quickly.
Hauling ass early in the morning on German b roads, in the mountains, is truly a pleasure. The only place for me where getting to and fro from work was the highlight of the day.
I love my Alpina XB7 that I picked up last year. It is truly a very well-built vehicle. I believe that the extra money that they charge versus the regular BMWs is truly justified. Unfortunately, the custom interiors that Matt was referring to, I’m not available in the United States. I mean for the United States market. That would be the LAVALINA leather which is absolutely amazing and as about $20-$25,000 extra in Europe, but probably worth every penny.
I find it ironic that BMW's own M Division has turned into Alpina. Whereas M used to be high revving NA enignes and manual gearboxes, Alpina was always stout auto transmissions, forced induction and instant, relentless shove. Now M's are also forced induction and not even DCT's but straight torque converter autos. Except that instead of fully adopting the Alpina mantra, they go for the hardcore suspension settings. As Matt says "motorsports theater" but no real motorsports chops. When the Z8 came out with the Alpina version, I couldn't figure out why someone in a 2 seat roadster would want to trade the E39 M5's lovely engine and manual gearbox for the normal 540's V8 and autobox. But now, i'd much rather have an Alpina B8 over an M8 Competition. Much more suited for the mission.
Alpina is still a brand, you fail to mention that. You did mention some of the extensive unique features Alpina changes to BMW stock cars. If you buy an Alpina, the BMW chassis numbers are erased and replaced by Alpina's numbers, on your car registration it says Alpina. That being said @Matt Farah, awesome review of what Alpine is about with all their models Jeremy Clarkson (in the BBC Top Gear show) did a segment on a BMW M5 on the track, liked it there to play with, still said he would not buy one because the most of your daily drive is on the open road, at the end of that bit, he drove an Alpine B5 home from the track... what you want to drive every day
So spot on..another great review by Matt. Alpine are just soooooo subtle that they in many eyes slip under the radar...but are inexorably the set standard for those that enjoy the fine things in life but the pose irritates them...Oh and what make is that cool jacket Matt is wearing?
Seems like a fantastically engineered car with great attention to detail, and the uniqueness and prestige that comes with seeing a rare alpina is awesome(I have a neighbor with one of the 2020 alpina x7's blacked out with these neon yellow calipers and details and its beautiful, and rare to see). That being said, I certainly wouldnt be against owning one of their vehicles, but still if I had to choose between one of these b8's and the comparatively priced RS7, id pick the RS7 almost every time unless I was traveling long distances in the car regularly. The performance and agility of the RS7 is just incredible, albeit probably a bit less luxurious on the interior(more of a subtle, minimalist sense of luxury in the rs7), and the RS7's hatchback style makes it a more practical vehicle as well, either way both are incredible cars that are simply built for slightly different purposes.
This is a spot-on article about Alpina - you nailed the explanation. Ever since I drove the Alpina 5 series I really loved it and came to respect the brand. It really is not just some tuner company, they really do transform the car from the ground up. If M cars today are trying to be the racers on the road - this is a true and much more usable sports car made for 95% of situations on the road. Sadly they sold the Alpina brand name to BMW, where I am afraid the BMW marketing department will whore-out the living shit out of the badge presumably making it also an equipment package - just like they did with their own M badge. M cars used to be something really exclusive, but these days when you see a NON-M with entry engine and with some optical "M package" and stupid fake badge - that is the reason real that also M cars lost their appeal to me. So my advice is - get yourself the real ALpina car while you can and just enjoy and take good care of it - it will be really valuable some day.
Yes, the end of Alpina is really sad, as you've already pointed out, the corporation will milk the name for money and disregard what it actually stands for. I get that emission regulations and a shift towards BEVs is not going to be something the small company can sustain, but it's really sad, nevertheless. But now is the time to still buy one, if you can. They've always been going up in value much earlier and much more than M cars, and with the last batch of *real* Alpinas, this will only increase.
The bigger rear disc is for the electronic LSD, witch is just the abs unit applying brake force to the slipping wheel in the back. I have the same thing on my f31 3 series with the M-performance brakes; the rear disks are bigger.
You really captured the essence of Alpina. I drive b3s e91 Allrad. 1 of 91 made. Black on brown interior like in this one. I own it since 2014. Will never sell it. Have other cars, but the Alpina is just pure magic. Even superbicks drivers give thumbs up 😅 And I also love white gold or platinum watches 😊
What a car, nice to see you in Germany ;) I like Alpina but soon they are a part of BMW..... Let us see what the future of Alpina will be. I drive the last car out of Buchloe with a manual, a D3 E91 :p Hope it will be with me for many years to come.
Alpina is for the thinking M guy. Loved your comment: I try to be a good foreign neighbour, shows you have very good parents ;) Money talks, wealth whispers ! The latter are buyers of the car. Great video! Kudos!
Friend's mom has one, with the two tone orange interior. It's massive, so plush and so fast. Much of what you said about the prospective buyer is true for her lol.
"Connaisseur" as true frenchism, or "Connoisseur", in bad english 😉 Glad you're back in Germany. I still remember your stop at the Pistenklause with Mr Harris. I ended visiting the place because of you.
For when you need to go from Munich to Stuttgart as quickly as possible. I'd love an Alpina, I do hope the takeover by BMW doesn't mean they disappear into just a trim level.
It is really funny how the preview frames for this channel's videos are almost always the midroll ads I skip past. I'd complain more but I know these companies are still offering hilarious money for these reads.
BMW do great interiors anyway but Alpina take paint colours and interior options to another level. Then there's Audi who have about two interiors to choose from😐
@@SpontaneousEvolution Ireland is probably similar to the UK in that no matter how much money you throw at them, they won't let you have an interior that isn't black. Massive dealbreaker for me as well, 'cos I'm a sucker for white/silver interiors.
i wish we in the US got more Alpina models...def a market for the xd3 and they could do a x5 version...just with 3 gas engine choices...the b58 s58 and s68...x3 having the b58 and s58...the x5 having the s58 and s68...think that would work well
This is a serious question so apologies if it sounds snotty: why get an Alpina over a nicely equipped 7 or 8 Series that's not an M car? The Alpina interior is admittedly gorgeous. Is it a lot nicer than a standard BMW interior? Is the Alpina a lot faster than a comparable BMW non-M? Is Alpina a similar luxury level upgrade as going from S Class to Maybach?
the base car that BMW sends Alpina to upgrade is the m850i. for the extra $50 grand, yes, it's a totally different car and rivals the M8 comp in power and speed. top speed off the Alpina B8 beats the M8 and most other sports cars in its class at 201mph (published; rumor is it will go even faster than that.) The interior is similar to the non-M's but with obvious upgrades and the wheels are unique. it has Maybach-like interior upgradeability in Europe but not the US. there are a lot more options upgrades in Europe, the US has a very short list unfortunately. But for the price, and exclusivity, I thinks it's unbeatable.
Hi Matt, a B8 person was raised in the Northeast went to a highly regarded prep school and basically spent half or all of his life at the country club. Discerning tastes in food and music but is well liked and respected by all they gather with, usually a hedge funder that wants to be different. Anyone can buy an AMG or a Porsche but an Alpena is a rare breed like a 12 monster that dresses out at 258 lbs. Great Videos Thank You 🙏.
Matt stresses that Alpinas are designed for drivers doing 30-40k kms a year which is equivalent to 18-25k miles and doesn’t sound like a lot to a typical American driver until you learn that Germans average about 8k miles a year.
some businesss owner near me has one parked out front all the time, im not sure who but i can't help but wonder. i want to ask to check out the car so bad
Fun fact: "connoisseur"is an old french word and today, we french say "connaisseur" What about the BMW badges on the hood and on the trunk ? New marketing since Alpina has been bought by BMW ?
UA-cam has become so bad because they have to many commercials because of the new unskippable ads, it useto be cool but now I don't even watch videos anymore thats like 4 minutes long and it has 4 30 second ads
Use code TST60 to get 60% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/3Cja9kE
Thanks Factor for sponsoring!
love your videos over the years keep rockin 🎸
You are indeed being a good forgien neighbour
No one accidentally ends up in an Alpina, that's why they are cool.
Love Alpina. Their B5 Touring is possibly the most perfect car in existance today.
No there d3.
I love what Alpina stands for and how they make cars the B3 or D3 touring would probably be the best daily ever!
What they stood for. Check their latest electric adaption of the 3-series:(
@@IwillBwaiting I am not for electrification personally but it seems that is the future for now.
Just got back from German/Austrian vacay with the wife and family. You have to get yourself in a car like this and drive these roads. It is life changing! Lol. Thanks for another great video!
Matt you summed it up perfectly calling it stealth wealth and a fine tailored suite and you definitely have matured in your summary description. Well done video matt thank you!
What a beautiful machine. Love the slightly understated approach here. Great review!!
Great video, lovely road. I know it wouldn't have been a one take but would have liked to see some of the autobahn drive you kept referencing in the video.
As a European I am super glad you got to show your large audience how some of our B roads look like over here! I am glad you briefly talked about the cultural context of this car as well, helps you realize why it might be more useful on European highways as opposed to the ones in the US given the lack of speed enforcement here.
Hope you enjoyed your trip, I hope you get to film more videos around here in the future.
*German Highways
Anywhere else in Europe and you're going to prison for using anymore that 6/10ths of this performance.
I think Switzerland would probably turn you away at the border if they knew this things potential. $4000 fine and a ban for going 144kph in a 90kph zone 😭
@@starfox_wr-45e93 I know what I said:) Going east from Germany to Prague the highway has great tarmac and very low traffic. You can safely do 160-180 kmh and barely notice you're not in Germany anymore. But you're right, if you get clocked in doing over 180 kmh, say goodbye to your driving license
@@starfox_wr-45e93 you shouldnt drive that fast where it is not allowed
The unskippable ads are making YT very difficult to watch anymore.
If you watch UA-cam a lot you got to go with premium. Totally worth it since I watch UA-cam more then any other movie sub channel Disney hbo Netflix. I'm on UA-cam more then any of those combined. Totally worth the premium.
@@no_lft_shft or a reliable ad blocker
Yes, and they've started pushing Premium more than ever.
I second this, Premium is very worth it to me personally as i use YT daily. You can always use the fast forward feature to skip the channel specific sponsors that don’t apply to you. It becomes habit quickly.
I get ya but also you are watching free content
Beautiful scenery. As other people have said, I really wish that we could buy the wagons over here. Such all around amazing cars.
Hauling ass early in the morning on German b roads, in the mountains, is truly a pleasure. The only place for me where getting to and fro from work was the highlight of the day.
I think a video on Matt's notebook would be interesting.
I love how you explained this car simply brilliant 👏
I love my Alpina XB7 that I picked up last year. It is truly a very well-built vehicle. I believe that the extra money that they charge versus the regular BMWs is truly justified. Unfortunately, the custom interiors that Matt was referring to, I’m not available in the United States. I mean for the United States market. That would be the LAVALINA leather which is absolutely amazing and as about $20-$25,000 extra in Europe, but probably worth every penny.
woah
Maybe if you drive naked.
I find it ironic that BMW's own M Division has turned into Alpina. Whereas M used to be high revving NA enignes and manual gearboxes, Alpina was always stout auto transmissions, forced induction and instant, relentless shove. Now M's are also forced induction and not even DCT's but straight torque converter autos. Except that instead of fully adopting the Alpina mantra, they go for the hardcore suspension settings. As Matt says "motorsports theater" but no real motorsports chops.
When the Z8 came out with the Alpina version, I couldn't figure out why someone in a 2 seat roadster would want to trade the E39 M5's lovely engine and manual gearbox for the normal 540's V8 and autobox. But now, i'd much rather have an Alpina B8 over an M8 Competition. Much more suited for the mission.
Alpina is still a brand, you fail to mention that. You did mention some of the extensive unique features Alpina changes to BMW stock cars.
If you buy an Alpina, the BMW chassis numbers are erased and replaced by Alpina's numbers, on your car registration it says Alpina.
That being said @Matt Farah, awesome review of what Alpine is about with all their models
Jeremy Clarkson (in the BBC Top Gear show) did a segment on a BMW M5 on the track, liked it there to play with,
still said he would not buy one because the most of your daily drive is on the open road,
at the end of that bit, he drove an Alpine B5 home from the track... what you want to drive every day
So spot on..another great review by Matt. Alpine are just soooooo subtle that they in many eyes slip under the radar...but are inexorably the set standard for those that enjoy the fine things in life but the pose irritates them...Oh and what make is that cool jacket Matt is wearing?
What a beautiful car, but an even more beautiful place. I love the forest to fields of the German landscape and the Alpina Green fits right in.
Seems like a fantastically engineered car with great attention to detail, and the uniqueness and prestige that comes with seeing a rare alpina is awesome(I have a neighbor with one of the 2020 alpina x7's blacked out with these neon yellow calipers and details and its beautiful, and rare to see). That being said, I certainly wouldnt be against owning one of their vehicles, but still if I had to choose between one of these b8's and the comparatively priced RS7, id pick the RS7 almost every time unless I was traveling long distances in the car regularly. The performance and agility of the RS7 is just incredible, albeit probably a bit less luxurious on the interior(more of a subtle, minimalist sense of luxury in the rs7), and the RS7's hatchback style makes it a more practical vehicle as well, either way both are incredible cars that are simply built for slightly different purposes.
Enjoyed this review Farah, looking well my man. Take care.
I love that Alpina’s don’t get old when the new model comes out like standard models do. In 10+ years it will still be nice and classy.
Kind of a cool car philosophy. High speed comfort. I like it.
Those roads are gorgeous
This is a spot-on article about Alpina - you nailed the explanation. Ever since I drove the Alpina 5 series I really loved it and came to respect the brand. It really is not just some tuner company, they really do transform the car from the ground up. If M cars today are trying to be the racers on the road - this is a true and much more usable sports car made for 95% of situations on the road. Sadly they sold the Alpina brand name to BMW, where I am afraid the BMW marketing department will whore-out the living shit out of the badge presumably making it also an equipment package - just like they did with their own M badge. M cars used to be something really exclusive, but these days when you see a NON-M with entry engine and with some optical "M package" and stupid fake badge - that is the reason real that also M cars lost their appeal to me. So my advice is - get yourself the real ALpina car while you can and just enjoy and take good care of it - it will be really valuable some day.
Yes, the end of Alpina is really sad, as you've already pointed out, the corporation will milk the name for money and disregard what it actually stands for. I get that emission regulations and a shift towards BEVs is not going to be something the small company can sustain, but it's really sad, nevertheless. But now is the time to still buy one, if you can. They've always been going up in value much earlier and much more than M cars, and with the last batch of *real* Alpinas, this will only increase.
My neighbor has an X3 with the M body kit and "X3M" as a vanity license plate. M used to be so special. Sad how times change.
Watching this clip driving at speed on a road that was at multiple places indicated for 60 km/h was thoroughly uncomfortable.
Awesome video Matt!
The bigger rear disc is for the electronic LSD, witch is just the abs unit applying brake force to the slipping wheel in the back.
I have the same thing on my f31 3 series with the M-performance brakes; the rear disks are bigger.
Thanks. I heard it and went huhhhh?
You really captured the essence of Alpina. I drive b3s e91 Allrad. 1 of 91 made. Black on brown interior like in this one. I own it since 2014. Will never sell it. Have other cars, but the Alpina is just pure magic. Even superbicks drivers give thumbs up 😅
And I also love white gold or platinum watches 😊
When I see an M car: ooh cool.
When I see an Alpina: WOW.
Nice ride, beautiful countryside. 👌
What a car, nice to see you in Germany ;) I like Alpina but soon they are a part of BMW..... Let us see what the future of Alpina will be.
I drive the last car out of Buchloe with a manual, a D3 E91 :p Hope it will be with me for many years to come.
That looks like the car collector cafe from Gran Turismo 7 at 10:11
Alpina is for the thinking M guy. Loved your comment: I try to be a good foreign neighbour, shows you have very good parents ;) Money talks, wealth whispers ! The latter are buyers of the car. Great video! Kudos!
Friend's mom has one, with the two tone orange interior. It's massive, so plush and so fast.
Much of what you said about the prospective buyer is true for her lol.
Nice GMT Mat… as always very cool Video! So nice car.. stealth wealth. Thats all about!
Mother of god it’s beautiful.
Got to have the pinstripes on an Alpina
"Connaisseur" as true frenchism, or "Connoisseur", in bad english 😉
Glad you're back in Germany. I still remember your stop at the Pistenklause with Mr Harris.
I ended visiting the place because of you.
That road is beautiful
"connaisseur" Matt, from the French "connaître" which means "to know". Just my little contribution to a very enjoyable podcast 😉
For when you need to go from Munich to Stuttgart as quickly as possible.
I'd love an Alpina, I do hope the takeover by BMW doesn't mean they disappear into just a trim level.
That's my home road track lol, how funny is that 😂
What a ride through those forests!
You don't really see it in the video but this road is really narrow , small and very bumpy. The way this car drives there is outstanding
Never seen Matt so relaxed ever.
the euro spec bmws look so much better than the US ones simply because they don't have the fugly amber sidemarkers
Someone in my parking garage has a blue one. Very pretty but I like the B7 better. The 7 has way more presence.
Agreed, looks wise the B7 is where it's at
It is really funny how the preview frames for this channel's videos are almost always the midroll ads I skip past. I'd complain more but I know these companies are still offering hilarious money for these reads.
Sounds way better on the launch than other recent flat-plane M V8s.
The word Matt is trying to describe is "refined".
True autobahn beast 👍
Pretty sure that farmer doesn't give a shit about that car.
BMW do great interiors anyway but Alpina take paint colours and interior options to another level. Then there's Audi who have about two interiors to choose from😐
You're in the UK I'm guessing?
@@tcaudiobooks737 from Ireland, drove an A4 there. Now in Mexico. I'd love an RS4 but the limited interior options would kill it for me.
@@SpontaneousEvolution Ireland is probably similar to the UK in that no matter how much money you throw at them, they won't let you have an interior that isn't black. Massive dealbreaker for me as well, 'cos I'm a sucker for white/silver interiors.
@@tcaudiobooks737 Exactly. Nothing more bland for me than a black interior.
i wish we in the US got more Alpina models...def a market for the xd3 and they could do a x5 version...just with 3 gas engine choices...the b58 s58 and s68...x3 having the b58 and s58...the x5 having the s58 and s68...think that would work well
☝🥇🖤Such a sick car!
You should have come to San Francisco CA the same car parks in my parking garage.. same exact car and color
Really well done.
i hope you made a stop at RUF down in Bavaria too
Matt can adapt to any car. He’s amphibious.
Amphibious? I'm not so sure. Amorphic maybe
OAL (Landkreis Ostallgäu) this is really deep in remote Bavaria.
I have a very long commute and this is actually in contention now.
Matt always on top of his watch game
colour is amazing
The most convincing part of video: 12:20
footage from the autobahn would have been sweet:) I like the look too
It just pisses me off that you spend so much money for an Alpina and its still got those BMW logos... I want my camshaft and carburetor
those roads look amazing
Great video
This is a serious question so apologies if it sounds snotty: why get an Alpina over a nicely equipped 7 or 8 Series that's not an M car? The Alpina interior is admittedly gorgeous. Is it a lot nicer than a standard BMW interior? Is the Alpina a lot faster than a comparable BMW non-M? Is Alpina a similar luxury level upgrade as going from S Class to Maybach?
the base car that BMW sends Alpina to upgrade is the m850i. for the extra $50 grand, yes, it's a totally different car and rivals the M8 comp in power and speed. top speed off the Alpina B8 beats the M8 and most other sports cars in its class at 201mph (published; rumor is it will go even faster than that.) The interior is similar to the non-M's but with obvious upgrades and the wheels are unique. it has Maybach-like interior upgradeability in Europe but not the US. there are a lot more options upgrades in Europe, the US has a very short list unfortunately. But for the price, and exclusivity, I thinks it's unbeatable.
'Trying to be a good foreign neighbor' said no American ever before 😶
UA-cam is weird. I order your channel, alarm on and still not getting notifications. Not your fault. Great channel!
Love you channel definitely need a better camera set up or increase the iso and aperture for the interior camera
What’s the future of the B8? I want to get it when my current lease is up October 2024
Love the car! Great vid (how much crew do you use?)! Who's spiking your reply?
One has to wonder if he drove t at 180+ miles in autobahn, why did he not record it?
I like Alpina. Very exclusive car, which is rarely seen on the street.
i love the alpina cars
what is difference between forest green and british racing green ?
You should have also recorded the tour with CEO 🤦🏻♂️
Alpinas, true GTs, comfortable and fast.
Herzlich willkommen in Deutschland :)
*Bayern
With their track record of made to fail mods, I wouldn't ever buy one even if I could.
Hi Matt, a B8 person was raised in the Northeast went to a highly regarded prep school and basically spent half or all of his life at the country club. Discerning tastes in food and music but is well liked and respected by all they gather with, usually a hedge funder that wants to be different. Anyone can buy an AMG or a Porsche but an Alpena is a rare breed like a 12 monster that dresses out at 258 lbs. Great Videos Thank You 🙏.
This is the ideal gumball run whip
Will a Carbahn tuned Alpina B8 be an overkill?
Good video
Love that car!
Matt stresses that Alpinas are designed for drivers doing 30-40k kms a year which is equivalent to 18-25k miles and doesn’t sound like a lot to a typical American driver until you learn that Germans average about 8k miles a year.
11:40 please tell me you didn't drive 280 kph through that Forrest... xD
The brakes are bigger than the wheels on my Golf!
A bit ironic misspelling "connoisseur" :)
Because it will drop in value like a rock…
bullshit
Matt are you wearing a Pepsi or a Seiko SKX?
I'd like to see an Alpina i4
Matt, if You are in Deutschland, try some car with diesel engine.
some businesss owner near me has one parked out front all the time, im not sure who but i can't help but wonder. i want to ask to check out the car so bad
Fun fact: "connoisseur"is an old french word and today, we french say "connaisseur"
What about the BMW badges on the hood and on the trunk ? New marketing since Alpina has been bought by BMW ?
Alpinas always wore the BMW badges
Adverts stop at 3:23
I think I prefer the B7
UA-cam has become so bad because they have to many commercials because of the new unskippable ads, it useto be cool but now I don't even watch videos anymore thats like 4 minutes long and it has 4 30 second ads