Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Purist be Damned?The family that owned Alpina for decades sold the brand to BMWback in 2022. The Bovensiepen family cited tightening emissions regulations and heightened competition from EVs for turning in the towel. The legacy they leave behind will be continued by the very brand they supported and tuned for decades, but maybe the news will be bittersweet for long-time fans.Put simply, Alpina couldn't see past what it had already done, but BMW thought differently. With the help of the former chief design officer at Polestar, Maximilian Missoni, the Bavarian automaker will bring Alpina to new heights today.BMWThe New AlpinaRecently, the Alpina brand made one of its biggest splashes since it was acquired by BMW. During the 2026 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, BMW-Alpina unveiled its new concept, the Vision BMW Alpina. Powered by a V8 and shaped like a grand tourer, the new concept shows what the future of Alpina holds.AdvertisementAdvertisementUnlike before, Alpina under BMW will not shy away from electrification. BMWBlog sat down with Maximilian Missoni at Villa d’Este, where he stated that "customers will have a choice out of the portfolio of powertrains of the respective BMW vehicles, and then they will get the Alpina treatment and be maxed out in terms of power and performance and comfort and luxury, but it's the same offer – that's the beauty of being within the group."While Alpina won't completely ditch gasoline power, with BMW, the brand will be able to push through with electrification, and by 2027, we expect the first electric model to be unveiled.BMWA New ChapterThe new BMW Alpina model will arrive in 2027 and be based on the 7 Series of BMW, and the next will likely be the X7. According to BMW Blog sources, the new model's code will be G72 rather than G70, and it will be offered in some variants, not just a single one as Alpina has historically offered.The current Vision Concept has a V8, but an electric version will come soon. It's hard to deny that China is a major influence, releasing cars with four-digit power figures left and right. BMW is responding to this by doing both.AdvertisementAdvertisementPurists can breathe a sigh of relief, but not quite. Alpina will continue to make performance-focused BMWs that are powered by gasoline, but at the cost of stepping into the realm of electrified performance.BMWThis story was originally published by Autoblog on May 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
+27 others
