Car lovers worried by vehicles becoming increasingly expensive, electric and weird-looking have welcomed BMW’s vision for the future of luxury models.
Even if all three problems are unlikely to be solved by a single model.
The luxury brand unveiled its drive for the future at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, a flashy gathering of cars on Lake Como in Italy.
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BMW’s two-door shows its intention for the future of luxury cars following its acquisition of the Alpina brand, a name long associated with luxurious and high-performance machines.
In the same way that Mercedes acquired independent tuner AMG long ago, BMW now holds the keys to Alpina.
The exotic concept car named “Vision BMW Alpina” paves the road ahead for BMW’s next chapter of luxury machines.
It joins a growing chorus of prestige brands shifting away from electrification.
In the same way that Mercedes has entered a new era of V8 power, BMW’s latest machine is powered by not by batteries, but a thumping eight-cylinder engine.
One that is not boosted by electrification.
Head of BMW Alpina, Oliver Viellechner, told reporters in Italy that, at the Porsche-rivalling price such a car would cost, customers “want combustion”, not electrification.
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The brand says the large V8 at the heart of its concept car “drives the experience, tuned to produce the characteristic notes of the Alpina exhaust: rich and deep at low speed, sonorous at high revs”.
Car enthusiasts welcomed the stylish new model’s arrival, even if some recognised it will be priced out of reach of everyday motorists.
“Petrol isn’t dead, it’s just elite now”, one person said on X, recognising that folks who drive a Bugatti, Lamborghini or Ferrari may be the last to switch to an EV.
The car’s looks were praised as “stunning”, a “dream”, “sublime” and a “masterpiece of design”.
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The reception was welcomed by BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk.
“Alpina has always represented a very specific idea of performance and refinement — where speed and comfort are complementary ambitions,” he said.
“Our role as the new custodians of this brand is to preserve this distinctiveness and shape it for a contemporary context.
“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.”
The concept car shown here isn’t ready for production. The first fruit from BMW’s next-generation Alpina models will be a luxury limousine based on the latest 7 Series.
Tipped to close the gap between BMW and Rolls-Royce, Alpina’s range will take shape in the near future.
