Vision BMW Alpina Concept Shows What to Expect From Newly Integrated Ultra-Premium Sub-Brand

Along with the BMW Motorrad Vision K18 concept touring bike, BMW is also showing off a “design study” created by its Alpina division, which was fully integrated into the company earlier this year following its 2022 acquisition. The new Vision BMW Alpina was unveiled at the 2026 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, and offers a peek at what’s to come when the division’s first ultra-luxury production car, based on the new BMW 7-series, debuts next year. The company says this “heralds a new chapter for a brand defined by extreme capability, sophistication, and the mastery of both performance and comfort”.

While the design statement for BMW Motorrad’s new bike is “The Heat of Speed”, BMW Alpina is showing off “The Shape of Speed”. It is intended to pay homage to the brand’s heritage, but stand out with a massive presence, at 5,200mm in length with a forward-leaning stance and coupe roofline.

BMW’s trademark kidney grille has been turned into an angled shark nose, with signature graphics revealed by subtle backlighting. Feature lines rise from the lower front corners, run along the sides, and wrap around the rear, conveying a sense of motion and speed. Modern “deco lines” are painted on the sides of the car, beneath a clear code. Clear-cut illuminated crystals are placed within the slim headlights. The Vision BMW Alpina carries forward a signature elliptical four-pipe exhaust, and its 22-inch front and 23-inch rear wheels feature Alpina’s long-running 20-spoke design.

Maximilian Missoni, head of BMW Design, Midsize & Luxury Cars and BMW Alpina, said “In Vision BMW Alpina, we distil every element of the brand to its essence and apply it in a deeply modern and sophisticated way. Every detail reflects substance: in engineering, in materials, and in the story it tells. The statements it makes are subtle and revealed only on a closer read. This interplay between purity and richness defines our approach to BMW Aplina design.”

The cabin is designed to be spacious, with top-end materials and technology. Each element has been designed as a standalone form. The speed feature line continues through the interior, with darker materials above it and lighter ones below. The company has used full-grain leather with stitching that mirrors the exterior deco lines. Metal elements feature a beveling technique that combines satin and polished finishes. Important controls feature clear-cut crystal. The company has also designed custom deco line glassware with safe holders that rise from the centre console on a backlit self-deploying mechanism.

The Vision BMW Alpina has a new Comfort+ calibration setting designed to exceed the standard BMW Comfort level, with a more refined character. The car is equipped with BMW Panoramic iDrive and a new passenger screen, which spans the width of the dashboard. Heritage blue and green design accents carry through to the bespoke Alpina digital UI. The background image is an exact rendering of an Alpine landscape. The company has used a V8 powertrain, tuned to produce Alpina’s characteristic deep exhaust notes.

“Alpina has always represented a very specific idea of performance and refinement — where speed and comfort are complementary ambitions. Our role as the new custodians of this brand is to preserve this distinctiveness and shape it for a contemporary context,” Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design, said. “Vision BMW Alpina shows how these qualities can be expressed with discipline and modernity, suggesting what our direction is for this brand as we move it into the future.”