BMW has decided that Alpina deserves more than just a line on the options list. From January 1, 2026, the Alpina trademark officially belongs to BMW, marking the beginning of BMW Alpina as a standalone sub-brand focused squarely on luxury-focused special cars.
If this sounds familiar, that’s because BMW is openly following a playbook written across town. Much like Mercedes folded Maybach into its own luxury orbit, BMW Alpina is being positioned as a quieter, more bespoke alternative sitting above the regular BMW range.
Alpina’s roots stretch back more than six decades. In the early 1960s, founder Burkard Bovensiepen chose to modify BMWs rather than continue his family’s typewriter business, keeping the Alpina name but changing its destiny. His twin Weber carburettor kit for the BMW 1500 caught Munich’s attention, and a long-standing partnership was born. Over the years, Alpina cars earned a reputation for blending discreet performance with long-distance comfort rather than outright aggression.
That character, BMW says, will remain central to the new BMW Alpina brand. Future models will continue to focus on enhanced performance, refined ride quality and interiors finished with top-grade materials. Bespoke options will play a significant role, allowing customers to tailor cars well beyond the standard BMW catalogue.
The move itself has been a long time coming. In 2022, BMW confirmed it would take control of Alpina after 2025, citing the tuning firm’s small scale and the growing complexity of modern vehicle regulations. While BMW has not yet detailed how production will be reorganised, it is widely expected that development will shift from Alpina’s base in Buchloe to BMW’s own facilities.
As for what arrives first, BMW is staying quiet. However, industry reports suggest the first BMW Alpina model could be based on the 7 Series, following its expected facelift later this year. An Alpina-finished X7 SUV is also believed to be on the roadmap, aligning neatly with the brand’s focus on comfort-led luxury rather than outright sportiness.
For BMW, this is about preserving Alpina in a form that makes sense for the modern market. Subtle, fast and finely finished cars for those who prefer understatement over M badges. Alpina, it seems, is growing up rather than fading away.
