New Vision BMW Alpina previews future V8-powered performance car
This new coupé concept previews a new era for the Alpina badge...
Despite having been around since the 1960s, the Alpina brand is experiencing something of a rebirth in 2026, with a brand new line-up after it fully entered BMW ownership earlier this year – and the appropriately-named Vision BMW Alpina concept is our first glimpse at what’s to come.
Unveiled today (15 May) at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza, the new Vision BMW Alpina concept previews a low-slung, lengthy coupé, similar in silhouette to the previous BMW 8 Series. At 5200mm, the concept is slightly longer than that car.
Now fully integrated into the BMW brand, the Alpina concept bears an upright version of the distinctive kidney grille with chrome-like finishes, as well as razor-thin LED headlights and a low “shark nose”. It wears the BMW badge, with ‘Alpina’ lettering at the lip of the front bumper.
The rear features dual horizontal rear lights flanking the BMW and Alpina badging, plus quad exhaust pipes. A large rear windscreen dominates the sloping coupé roofline. The wheels – 22in at the front and 23in at the rear – feature the traditional Alpina 20-spoke design.
Inside, the Vision BMW Alpina gets the full Neue Klasse treatment, featuring BMW’s iDrive system. There’s a large trapezoidal infotainment touchscreen alongside a passenger screen, as well as a shallow strip running the full width of the dashboard which serves as a digital instrument panel. A head-up display also comes as standard. The four-spoke steering wheel is practically the same as what was recently revealed in the new BMW i3, with touch-sensitive controls for some functions – although the BMW badge in the centre is replaced with a large Alpina logo.
Technical details are thin on the ground, but we do know that the new Vision BMW Alpina is powered by a hefty V8 engine – likely a monstrous 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged unit similar to what was in the old Alpina B7, producing upwards of 600bhp.
The first model from BMW Alpina will arrive next year, taking inspiration from the BMW 7 Series saloon.
Alpina was established in 1965 as a BMW tuner, but with the status of an independent car manufacturer. It became revered for developing high-performance versions of existing BMW cars, and was sold to BMW in 2022. BMW took full control of Alpina in January this year.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
