Alpina Made A 460 HP i8 But BMW Wouldn’t Let Them Build It

If BMW releases a new and exciting model, you can bet your bottom dollar that Alpina will look to create its own version of it and bring it to the market. According to Alpina chief executive Andreas Bovensiepen, this was almost the case with the BMW i8.

Jalopnik recently had the opportunity to sit down with Bovensiepen in Munich, Germany and discovered that rumors of Alpina creating a four-cylinder i8 were true.

According to Bovensiepen, Alpina got its hands on a stock BMW i8 and set about modifying the stock rear subframe to allow room for a four-cylinder as opposed to the turbocharged three-cylinder the car is sold with. Alpina was able to get the job done and created an i8 with approximately 460 hp, roughly 100 hp more than standard.

Also Read: BMW i3 And i8 To Be Killed, Vision M Next Might Hit Production

Alpina started testing the car on public roads with the prototype adorned with Alpina wheels, a new front spoiler and a fixed rear wing.

Unfortunately, BMW didn’t allow Alpina to pursue the project and killed it due to issues with brand identity. It’s also reported that BMW thought the Alpina i8’s “prominently exposed exhaust was a problem.” Bovensiepen went on to indicate that the purpose of the Alpina brand is to fill niches within the BMW family and that a 460 hp i8 would have directly competed against vehicles from the M brand.

Alpina’s most recent model is the 2020 B7 xDrive based around the 7-Series. It features a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 600 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.