Alpina recently officially came under the BMW umbrella after being purchased by the German car giant, with the intention of becoming its competitor to the likes of Mercedes-Maybach and Bentley.
After months of teasers, its first car has been revealed in concept form, with the Vision BMW Alpina unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the site of many former BMW one-offs and concepts making their debut.
Marked as a design study to preview what BMW Alpina could build in the future, the 5.2 metre-long coupe takes styling cues for a handful of classic and modern vehicles from the stables of both brands.
BMW Alpina says the Vision concept is “the next chapter” of the story which began with the Alpina B7 coupe, which was based on the E24-generation BMW 6 Series, and featured a ‘shark nose’, long bonnet and widened body to give it extra road presence.
While Alpina’s iconic ‘deco-lines’ have stood out on the side of its vehicles since its inception, on the Vision concept they are far more subtle, being covered in clearcoat in a shame almost matching the overall body colour.
To make sure everyone knows this is an Alpina at heart, the wheels incorporate the 20-spoke design which has featured on every one of the brand’s cars since its inception 55 years ago.
There are other nods to past BMWs such as the 507, while inside the cabin the four-spoke steering wheel makes its first appearance in a non-Neue Klasse-based EV from the brand.
The interior design borrows heavily from the Neue Klasse design language, with its twin screens and pillar-to-pillar display, incorporating the instrument cluster and other vehicle information.
As a four-seater, the Vision BMW Alpina features leather upholstery with a white and grey colourway, said to be inspired by the Alps where Alpina was founded.
Though it features a few hallmarks of new BMW EVs, the Vision concept is very much combustion engine powered, with the brand confirming a V8 is under the bonnet, with its sound escaping through four exhaust tips at the rear.
BMW Alpina hasn’t provided any additional details, though past concepts have been based on the now-dead 8 Series, which was powered by the ‘N63’ or ‘S63’ 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8.
Given the 8 Series is now out of production, future BMW Alpinas will be based on the 7 Series and X7, both of which feature the newer ‘S68’ V8 engine.
“BMW Alpina fills a gap in our portfolio between BMW and Rolls-Royce as we see even more potential in the high-end segment,” said head of BMW Alpina, Oliver Viellechner.
“With Alpina we have a strong legacy and a global community, which we want to build on, while preserving the essence of what the brand stands for – speed, comfort and sophistication.”
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