It's been a few years in the making, but the evolution of Alpina from a stand-alone brand to an in-house division of BMW is complete. Well, it's almost complete. We still need to see the first actual production car to come from Alpina's side of the table, but we already have a hint of what to expect. For Alpina purists, the news is good. It sounds like BMW isn't just going to add wheels and badges and call it a day. There's actual effort going into this that will make Alpina vehicles very distinct from their standard BMW siblings. Now, we know how it will begin. And for the initial step at least, it will be an entirely internal-combustion affair. It Starts With A Flagship V8 Sedan BMWThe Alpina B7 is back. Speaking with TopGear, the head of BMW Alpina, Oliver Viellechner, said the first production Alpina will be a take on the BMW 7 Series. That's something we've known for a bit, but fans of the brand should be pleased to hear it won't utilize any kind of electrification. The new B7 will have a V8 engine under the hood – no partial hybrid, plug-in, nada. "A pure V8 without a plug."-BMW Alpina Vice President Oliver Viellechner That's not to say there won't ever be an electrified, or fully electric Alpina. Viellechner went on to clarify that future models most likely will include hybrid and fully electric hybrid powertrains. That holds especially true for China, where electrification is very much a major factor. But that will be something to consider in the future. Right now, Alpina is reestablishing itself under the BMW umbrella, and that means combustion power.Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/ValnetWhat kind of power are we talking about? For now, BMW isn't sharing anything specific, but there's only one V8 currently offered in the 7 Series. That would be the enduring 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, which currently generates 536 horsepower for the 760i XDrive. There are two caveats to this, however.First, BMW just launched a massively updated 7 Series for the 2027 model year but didn't mention anything about V8 power. It's quite likely the newest model will have a bit more under the hood. Second, regardless of what the standard 7 Series has for power, Alpina will have more. "The engine of an Alpina can't be the same as the engine in a base model 7 Series," Viellechner told CarBuzz. "They must be differentiated. Those are the areas Alpina stands for: powertrain, chassis, driving, and so on." Ultra Luxury, Previewed By Vision Alpina BMWThe last B7 bowed out in 2022, so a new one coming is a big deal. When it does finally arrive, it won't simply be a dressed-up 7 Series with a bit more power, though. Nor will it be a hard-edged performance sedan in the vein of BMW M. Alpina will coexist with M, serving up a dose of performance but mixed heavily with comfort and luxury. BMW fancies its relaunched Alpina as an ultra-luxury competitor, slotting below Rolls-Royce (which is also under BMW ownership) to go after Bentley and Mercedes-Maybach.Our first taste of the new Alpina debuted on May 15, and it certainly looks the luxury part. The Vision BMW Alpina is a large concept coupe, so it's not a direct panel-for-panel preview of a new B7. But the wide front face with the big kidney grille, thin headlights, and vertically oriented corner vents are very reminiscent of the 7 Series. And BMW has said its first production car will draw inspiration from the concept. BMW has no plans to build the concept as seen here. As for when a new B7 will arrive, a specific timeframe hasn't yet been announced.
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