BMW owns Alpina now. Not “partnership with” owns. Actually owns. The acquisition happened earlier this year. It ended decades of tense, independent tuning. Since 1965, Alpina has been that slightly eccentric uncle who makes your car drive better while wearing velvet. Now they share a last name. And a wallet.
BMW showed off a Vision Alpina concept last month. A sleek coupe with weird rear lights. It’s a mood board. Not the product.
It’s a Sedan. Probably Called The B8
The real car arriving in 2025—wait, 2026, then 2027—will be a four-door sedan. A coupe with two extra doors for passengers who judge you for buying a luxury car alone.
Based on the new 7 Series. Sharing the platform. Sharing the engines. The previous flagship, the B7, died in 2022 too early. Its twin-turbo V8 was good. Maybe too good for the times.
The naming is the tricky part. Alpina uses B-letters. B3, B5, B8. It works. Why change? BMW might try something corporate. We doubt it. The brand heritage is strong. B8 is the likely name. If it happens, don’t act surprised.
Design: Subtle. Boring? Maybe.
The concept was dramatic. The production car? Subtle. Adrian van Hooydonk from BMW Design says they didn’t “feel the need to show off.”
Translation: it will look like a 7 Series with different trim pieces. Subtle changes. Alpina badges. And the wheels.
Always the wheels. Twenty-spoke mesh designs. Iconic. Unmistakable. Even from fifty feet away. Inside is where the money goes. Van Hooydonk said, “You can have whatever you want.” He added that there will be a lot of personalization. Because that’s how these cars get sold.
“Alpina is for connoisseurs.”
Say what you want. Comfort. Style. A quiet place to hold court.
Size And Substance
It’ll be big. The concept coupe was 204 inches. Shorter. The 7 Series is over 212 inches long. The Alpina sedan will sit in that wheelbase gap. Almost identical dimensions to the regular 7 Series.
They ride together now. Literally. Shared platforms. It saves engineering time. It creates parts-bin commonality. Is it evil? Maybe. But the car drives. That’s what matters.
The V8 Is Safe
Not just any V8. The twin-turbo from the 7 Series lineup. Modified. Tuned. Alpina engineers tweak the calibration. The old B7 made 600 horses. It sounded alive.
The concept V8 promises rich low-speed tones and sonorous highs. A car with a voice.
Hooydonk noted the customers want to “travel fast and far in great comfort.” A contradiction? Perhaps. Engineers are solving that now. It means plush seats paired with stiff suspension settings you won’t feel unless you hit a pothole.
2027. Villa d’Este.
Debut date is likely May 2027. Concorso d’Elegância Villa d’Este in Lake Como. A very expensive, very rainy Italian lakeside party. Perfect for a car this price.
How Much Damage?
BMW bought Mini. Bought Rolls-Royce. They know branding. The current lineup has a hole.
The BMW 7 Series costs $100,000.
The Rolls-Royce Ghost costs $370,000.
There’s a lot of room in the middle for people with too much cash and not enough hobbies.
We’re guessing the start is six figures. High six. $200,00 before you pick your specific shade of beige. Production will be low. Low enough to matter.
Will you wait three years?
Will anyone else?
The wheels look good though.
