BMW Preps Alpina Premium Subbrand For Takeoff

BMW Group has formally rebooted Alpina, after purchasing the tuning company in 2022, and it appears as though not a lot will be changing. Alpina will continue to offer performance-tuned BMWs with an emphasis on luxury — with the automaker claiming that it wants to position the brand between performance-focused BMW M models and ultra-luxe products from Rolls-Royce.

Alpina’s tuning business started in 1965 and initially focused on developing performance parts for engines manufactured by BMW. It wasn’t long before it decided to showcase its strengths by running tuned models in various rally, endurance, and touring car championships.

While the core of its business remained the same, Alpina gradually withdrew from motorsport during the 1980s to focus on developing bespoke, road-going models for direct sale. By then, BMW had already been delivering racers via BMW Motorsport GmbH for years and was quickly introducing new M models to customers.

To differentiate itself, Alpina opted to focus on tuning vehicles for street performance while adding luxury. BMW M models were frequently developed around being exciting on a racetrack, whereas Alpina-tuned alternatives emphasized high-speed stability and maximum comfort. Significantly more expensive than their OEM counterparts, Alpina models typically delivered higher stop speeds and engines featuring sizable bumps in peak torque. They were among the grandest of German grand tourers, designed to be driven as fast as possible on regular roads without a surplus of drama.

BMW purchased the company a few years ago, with some worried that it would neuter the brand. But that doesn’t appear to have happened. Based on a recent interview BMW’s development head Joachim Post held with The Independent, Alpina vehicles will fill a similar role as before — they’ll just be built under the official BMW banner.

“M is a philosophy about how a car drives — from the power, from the steering, from the control. I can only tell you, once you have driven them, this future [i3] M car will come on the electric side and you'll feel how that works,” Post explained.

“Alpina was always different in the past. M has been born on the racetrack, made for the roads from the sports level. And Alpina — we talk about speed, not sport. Speed and comfort and luxury, but completely different from a level which are the people who like M.”

Post confirmed that the next Alpina models will be revamped versions of the 7 Series (B7) sedan and the X7 SUV (XB7). He also said electrified Alpinas were a distinct possibility.

Based on what we’ve seen thus far, it’s expected that Alpina models will persist with their iconic multispoke wheels, understated exteriors, and lavishly appointed interiors. BMW plans on offering plenty of options for individualization, especially inside the cabin, to help rationalize the price bump.

Less certain is how BMW plans to deal with powertrains. Alpina-tuned engines tended to be torque monsters. But it would undoubtedly be easier for the automaker to toss in a lightly tuned version of whatever engine the equivalent M-badged car was using, giving the automaker more time to focus on the cabin and suspension.

Alpina plans on selling a limited run of the current 2026 XB7 Manufaktur (below) this year. The vehicle is based on Alpina’s preexisting take on the BMW X7 and is equipped with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 631 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. It’s a send-off model, with the 120 units serving to pave the way for the next run of vehicles developed under BMW ownership.

We’ll have to wait to see how different the next batch of Alpina-badged X7 models are from past eras. BMW is assumed to launch those vehicles sometime in 2027, along with the next B7, after the revamped 7 Series and X7 debut later this in April. Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed rumors that BMW will be bringing an all-new Alpina model to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d-Este in Northern Italy this May. But it’s not known whether this vehicle will be a radical concept or a pre-production automobile designed to give us a real taste of what’s to come.

[Images: BMW Group; SzLV40/Shutterstock; JoshBryan/Shutterstock]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by  subscribing to our newsletter.