The very first beginnings of Alpina dates back to 1962. At that time the company built carburetors for the BMW 1500. Well received by the automotive press and product owners BMW, Alpina quickly became the manufacturer’s equipment supplier of choice. By 1965, Alpina offered performance packages for almost every BMW model. In fact, Alpina was racing against BMW long before the manufacturer did so itself.
A relationship that endures
It is this trust between the two entities that has allowed Alpina to remain so respected by BMW, allowing it to build its own models, marketed separately from the Munich manufacturer.
More recently, Alpina was almost merged with BMW and even built its models on the manufacturer’s assembly lines. The brand, however, held back its distinctions from BMW, such as its unique body colors, wheels, cabin finishes and, of course, mechanical modifications that allowed it to offer something truly unique to owners. We bought an Alpina because a simple BMW wasn’t enough. A bit like Maybach does at Mercedes-Benz, Alpina offered this additional signature that was not found on other BMW models.
Soon entirely swallowed by BMW
It was almost written in the sky, however, that BMW would eventually take complete control of Alpina. Indeed, it was in 2022 that the manufacturer announced its intention to buy the company and its marketing rights. In the agreement, however, it was stipulated that Alpina would continue to build its models in the BMW factory and sell them under separate nomenclatures until 2026, when it will be officially swallowed up by the German giant.
However, it seems that BMW is already preparing the future of this legendary company. According to what the media recently reported BMW Blogthe manufacturer is preparing an Alpina version of the BMW 7 Series current generation. This would in fact be the next generation of the Alpina B7, which could be available in both thermal and electric versions.
In its thermal version, it could use a modified version of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. Its power could therefore exceed the 600 horsepower of its predecessor.
As for the electric version, it would be completely logical to assume that it would be based on the latest BMW i7 M70, which already develops a total combined power of 650 horsepower and completes the 0 to 100 kilometer sprint /hour in just 3.7 seconds. How will the Alpina version top that? It is still too early to know, but the development of this large electric luxury sedan will be very interesting to follow.
