BMW Alpina Has Officially Been Born; Here’s Why It Happened and What to Expect

2026 has begun, and that means that BMW‘s ownership of the Alpina brand, announced in 2022, has officially come into effect. In order to understand what to expect, we first need to know how we got here. Alpina seemed to be doing just fine, and its trademark design cues had continued to work well with modern Bimmers, but a company cannot succeed only by focusing on the present; it needs to consider what the future holds and how that future might fundamentally change its processes. Alpina prided itself not only on design but also on increased luxury and performance. And three years ago, things didn’t look good for companies of Alpina’s particular scale.

Why Alpina Sold to BMW and What It Will Do Now

In 2022, an increasingly tightening legal framework made it appear completely untenable for a niche, small-series manufacturer like Alpina to continue meeting emissions requirements. While ultra-low-volume manufacturers like Pagani could bet on possible exemptions from these rules and larger manufacturers like BMW could plan to offset overall fleet emissions with their cleanest vehicles, Alpina fell somewhere in the middle. Therefore, Alpina sold its brand rights to BMW.

Related: Alpina’s Next Chapter: BMW Plans To Reinvent Its Most Elegant Performance Brand

At the time, an Alpina representative told Bimmer Today, “The sale is an early reaction to the constantly tightening legal framework.” The representative added, “Due to the politically decreed transformation towards electromobility and the increasing regulations worldwide, the requirements and thus also the costs and risks for small series manufacturers are increasing significantly.” Moving forward, instead of heavily reimagining contemporary Bimmers, the Buchloe-based company will restore and maintain its past creations as Alpina Classic. Since it has sold the Alpina brand rights, it cannot continue in the same vein as before, even if regulations would allow it. And what will BMW do with its new asset?

BMW Alpina: What the Future Holds

BMW’s press release hints that things will appear to continue as before, noting that “key elements of the BMW Alpina brand are its unique balance of maximum performance and superior ride comfort, combined with hallmark driving characteristics […] complemented by an exclusive portfolio of bespoke options and custom materials along with unmistakable details.” It goes on to say that BMW is aware of the weight of responsibility it has in preserving the pride of this brand, as well as its “independent personality within the BMW Group.” Therefore, we can expect future BMW Alpina vehicles to come with luxurious finishes, effortless performance, and some classic design cues. One of the first vehicles to get this treatment under BMW’s stewardship could be an enhanced version of the XM or future X8, or it may be an even fancier take on a V8-powered 7 Series. Earlier reports suggested that BMW Alpina would become a Bavarian version of Mercedes-Maybach, and it’s not a stretch to think that the BMW Group will use this brand for more limited editions like the Skytop. These could be indications that smaller, less expensive vehicles like the 3 Series may not be given the Alpina touch anymore, but we’ll have to wait and see.