Germany’s Alpina has been tuning BMWs for more than half a century, but starting this year its legacy entered a new chapter: Alpina is now fully integrated into BMW, with its future products developed under the factory umbrella. While the first two members of the future product family have already been identified, CarBuzz found a newly surfaced trademark filing that hints at what could come next. And it points to territory Alpina has never explored before.According to a March filing with the World Intellectual Property Organization, BMW has trademarked the “XB6” designation. The name suggests a potential Alpina-tuned version of the BMW X6 is in the works, which is something the brand has never offered. Entering New Territory BMWThe trademark follows Alpina’s traditional naming convention for SUVs, where the designation “XB6” would indicate an X6 powered by a gasoline engine. In this case, the “B” stands for Benzin, the German word for gasoline, while diesel models typically carry a “D” in their name.As noted in the opening, Alpina has never officially tuned the X6 before, though it has previously worked with BMW’s other coupe-style SUV, the BMW X4. That effort resulted in the Alpina XD4 sold outside the US, a model that was offered exclusively with a diesel powertrain. It was a deliberate choice that helped avoid internal overlap with BMW’s own performance-focused X4 M. In effect, the XD4 served as a more discreet, torque-rich alternative for long-distance cruising rather than outright track-style performance.AlpinaAs for the potential XB6, a trademark filing is certainly no guarantee production is planned. However, with Alpina now formally integrated into BMW, the possibility of an Alpina-tuned X6 is more plausible than ever. Under BMW’s evolving product strategy, Alpina’s focus on a blend of performance and comfort could become more distinct. This would allow BMW M to lean further into extreme, track-focused performance to better compete with rivals like Mercedes-AMG, while Alpina continues catering to buyers who want effortless high-speed luxury without the race track persona of a full performance model. What To Expect Jared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/ValnetWhile there is no further information on a potential XB6, Alpina’s recent work offers some clues. Alpina recently unveiled its final independently developed model, the Alpina XB7 Manufaktur, based on the BMW X7. Given the close mechanical relationship between the X7 and the X6, an XB6 would likely follow a similar formula, potentially using the same twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with around 631 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, alongside Alpina’s trademark focus on refinement and a richly appointed, leather-heavy interior.Timing is harder to pin down, but the next-generation BMW X5 is expected to debut later this year, with its X6 counterpart likely to follow not long after. If an Alpina variant does materialize, it would almost certainly arrive after both standard models have been established.Sources: WIPO
