BMW ALPINA is alive again. And it looks like it has a point to make. The newly reinvigorated BMW Group sub-brand has unveiled the Vision BMW ALPINA—a V8-powered coupe concept stretching 204.7 inches from bumper to bumper. It previews where the legendary Buchloe nameplate is headed. Aiming directly for the void between standard BMWs and Rolls-Royce giants.
It’s a four-seat grand tourer. Reviving the classics.
- The shark nose? Lifted straight from the original B7.
- The 20-spoke wheels? In rotation since 1971.
- The elliptical four-pipe exhaust? Still there.
- The deco-lines? Modernized, yes, but tracing back to 1974 designs that have adorned Alpina flanks for decades.
A production model, likely built on the next-gen 7 Series chassis, is scheduled to follow next year.
Interior: Architecture Over Assimilation
The cabin treats every component as its own distinct form. Nothing gets blended into a homogenized blob. Architectural volumes dictate the layout. Even the six-degree “speed feature line” from the exterior cuts through the interior. Dividing it into a dark upper half and a lighter lower section.
Materials tell the origin story. Full-grain leather comes from Alpine producers, tying the build to its Bavarian roots. Stitching mimics those signature deco-lines. A “bridge stitch,” borrowed from historic hand-stitched steering wheels, appears sparingly in heritage shades of blue and green.
Metal parts feature a beveling technique inspired by watchmaking, mixing satin and polished finishes. But keep the crystal clear. Controls that actually matter for driving get the high-gloss treatment.
Behind the rear console sits a glass water bottle and a pair of BMW ALPINA-crystal glasses. They rise on their own via a self-deploying mechanism? Sure. Why not. Each glass is etched with 20 deco-lines. They feature that signature six-degree rim profile. Concealed magnets hold them in place while soft lighting hits the open-grain wood of the center console.
A comfortable driver is a faster one. That remains Alpina’s core philosophy.
This is why the “Comfort+” setting exists. It goes beyond BMW’s standard comfort calibrations, delivering something more supple, more refined, behind the wheel.
Technology joins the party. BMW Panoramic iDrive—now with a passenger screen—spans the dash. The digital interface is bespoke for ALPINA. Shift from Comfort+ to Speed? The Heritage blue and green intensifies. The panoramic vision head-up display even renders the specific mountain range visible looking south from their headquarters in Buchloe.
Exterior: Quiet Authority
At nearly 17 feet long, the Vision carries serious presence. Wide. Low. Confident. No theatrics. Just proportions that promise speed and room for four adults simultaneously. Alpina never saw those two goals as mutually exclusive. Why would they?
The roofline slopes steeply. An unmistakable GT posture. It suggests motion even when parked, yet manages to leave usable headroom for all four passengers inside.
Up front, the shark nose anchors the design. It’s a signature dating back to that first B7. Here, reinterprets the kidney grille not as a slot, but as a 3D sculpture. Framing the roundel. Quietly asserting authority.
One line rules them all. The speed feature line.
Starting at a six-degree angle from the lower front corners. Running along the sides. Wrapping around the rear. It asserts motion. Then controls it. Keeping things refined. Abrupt. Direct. Much like the brand itself.
