New Brand BMW Unveils Concept Car: Alpina As A New Luxury Brand

With a 700 hp V8, luxury in the manufactory style and elegant bodywork, BMW shows where Alpina is heading in the future. The study from Lake Como is the prelude to something bigger.

When BMW talks about the future of Alpina these days, it sounds less like a nostalgic cultivation of tradition and more like a pretty clear declaration of power. At the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on Lake Como in mid-May, the Munich-based (Germany) company gave the first concrete indication of where the journey with the former Buchloer refinement brand could take it. After BMW takes over the brand rights in full at the beginning of 2026, Alpina is likely to appear as an independent luxury brand from 2027, placing it between BMW and Rolls-Royce.

The fact that BMW is serious about another brand is underlined by the Vision BMW Alpina concept car unveiled against a sophisticated backdrop. With a length of 17 feet, a flat roofline and two doors, the coupé looks like a kind of Gran Turismo for very high speeds and long distances. With its four fully-fledged seats, the Alpina design is more of a luxurious high-speed glider than an extroverted super sports car.

BMW Relies on V8 Engine

Under the elegantly cut sheet metal there is probably a lot of technology from the 7 Series range. The backlit giant kidney grille, Hofmeister kink and monumental proportions leave no doubt as to the BMW origins. At the same time, details such as the fine trim lines in the flanks, the Alpina lettering on the front splitter or the classic 20-spoke wheels in 22- and 23-inch show off the second identity.

Remarkable: while many luxury brands are currently making a name for themselves with electric visions of the future, BMW's Alpina vision is demonstratively based on combustion excess. Under the long hood is a V8 with more than 700 hp. BMW speaks of a deep, sonorous sound, which is probably a polite way of putting it for an engine that, at full load, sounds like a distant offshore speedboat gliding through the landscape. Because Alpina traditionally has little regard for electronic restraints, the usual BMW limits are likely to be dispensed with. Accordingly, a top speed above the 300 mark would be conceivable. It was no coincidence that the term "time shrinking machine" was mentioned several times during the presentation.

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In the interior, the Vision Alpina relies less on digital showmanship than on demonstrative old-school luxury. Polished metals, crystal elements, full-grain leather and finely crafted details are more reminiscent of classic watchmaking than Silicon Valley aesthetics. Nevertheless, there is also plenty of screen space, including a separate display for the front passenger and a large panoramic vision head-up system. All of this already looks very close to series production. Officially, BMW explicitly refers to it as a study. But the emphasis on the concept status is often only intended to disguise the fact that the decision has long since been made internally.

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