Vision BMW Alpina: A pioneering design study

The Vision BMW ALPINA will celebrate its world premiere at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2026. This design study combines everything that distinguishes the BMW ALPINA brand: exceptional driving performance, refinement, and the perfect symbiosis of performance and comfort.

« Alpina a toujours incarné une philosophie très particulière, alliant performance et raffinement – ​​un concept où dynamisme et confort ne sont pas incompatibles, mais complémentaires. En tant que nouveaux propriétaires de cette marque emblématique, notre mission est de préserver son caractère distinctif tout en le faisant évoluer de manière contemporaine », explique Adrian van Hooydonk, directeur du design du groupe BMW. « La Vision BMW ALPINA illustre comment ces qualités peuvent s'exprimer à travers un langage stylistique moderne et épuré, et préfigure l'avenir de la marque. »

DESIGN AND FORM: AESTHETICS OF SPEED

The Vision BMW ALPINA is a respectful interpretation of Alpina's brand heritage, characterized by a contemporary design language. At 5,200 mm long, it exudes an impressive presence: wide, low, and commanding. The long, flowing coupé roofline conveys dynamism while simultaneously offering generous travel comfort for four people. The vehicle is powered by a V8 engine whose characteristic Alpina sound defines the driving experience: sonorous and deep at lower speeds, powerful and emotional at high revs.

“With the Vision BMW ALPINA, we are distilling the essence of the brand and reinterpreting it in a highly modern yet sophisticated way,” says Maximilian Missoni, Head of Design BMW Upper Mid-Range, Luxury Class and BMW ALPINA. “Every detail embodies substance – in the engineering, in the materials, and in the story it tells. The statements are deliberately subtle and often only reveal themselves upon closer inspection. It is this interplay of clarity and depth that will define the design language of BMW ALPINA.”

The front end, with its powerful surfaces and forward-leaning stance, exudes dynamism without appearing exaggerated. The so-called "shark nose" reinterprets the BMW kidney grille as a sculptural, three-dimensional element. It structures the vehicle's form and frames the brand emblem subtly yet confidently. Starting at the front, the exterior unfolds along a clear axis: the speed feature line. Rising at a six-degree angle from the lower corners of the front, it extends along the side line to the rear. The speed feature line is clear and concise, conveying movement in its purest form.

INTERIOR AND DETAILS: ARCHITECTURAL CLARITY

The interior impresses with its spaciousness in every dimension: room, material quality, and the meticulous integration of technology. Architectural volumes define the design; each element is conceived as an independent form that doesn't get lost in a homogeneous interior. The speed feature line continues inside, separating the darker upper area from the lighter lower area. Full-grain leather—sourced from select tanneries in the Alpine region—is combined with stitching inspired by the characteristic decorative lines.

Craftsmanship details are understated yet thoughtfully employed: A special bridge seam, influenced by the historic hand-stitching of steering wheels, appears sparingly in the classic heritage colors of blue and green. A chamfering technique derived from watchmaking was used for the metal components, combining satin and polished surfaces. Precisely cut crystals are reserved for those controls that significantly influence the driving experience – a clear indication of the high value BMW ALPINA places on the driving experience itself. Behind the center console is a crystal glass set with a bottle that glides elegantly upwards via a self-opening mechanism. Each glass is engraved with 20 decorative lines and features a rim profile inclined at six degrees, held by concealed magnets and gently illuminated against the open-pore center console.

COMFORT AND SPEED

Burkard Bovensiepen understood something that has been largely forgotten in the automotive world: a relaxed driver is a faster driver. This idea is at the heart of the Vision BMW ALPINA. With Comfort+, ALPINA has always offered a driving mode that goes beyond the classic BMW comfort settings, enabling a particularly smooth and refined driving experience. This driving experience is also preserved in the Vision BMW ALPINA. The BMW Panoramic iDrive with its new Passenger Screen extends across the entire instrument panel and features a digital user interface developed specifically for BMW ALPINA. The traditional heritage colors of blue and green are used selectively and discreetly, intensifying in the BMW Panoramic Vision Head-Up Display when switching from Comfort+ to Speed ​​mode. The visual design of the backgrounds follows a precise design concept. The depicted Alpine landscape shows exactly the mountain range that opens up to the south when looking from Buchloe.

BMW ALPINA. AN EXCLUSIVE BRAND IN THE BMW GROUP

With the introduction of BMW ALPINA as an exclusive brand within the BMW Group in 2026, the ambition is to carry this special heritage worthily into the future. This requires a deep understanding of the brand's essence and the expectations of its enthusiasts. "BMW ALPINA closes the gap in our portfolio between BMW and Rolls-Royce and opens up additional potential in the top-end segment."

“With BMW ALPINA, we are building on a substantial heritage and a global community – without losing sight of the brand's core values: speed, comfort, and refinement,” explains Oliver Viellechner, Head of BMW ALPINA. Next year, customers will be able to experience the first model from the BMW ALPINA brand – inspired by the BMW 7 Series, but unmistakably BMW ALPINA.