BMW Alpina’s future cars will cater to connoisseurs who love driving fast, but not in a car that looks like a race car. The Vision BMW Alpina concept, unveiled at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, showcases the brand’s focus on high-speed cruising and understated performance.
According to Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group head of design, and Maximilian Missoni, BMW Alpina head of design, the concept is built on a BMW 8 Series coupe platform with a V-8 engine under its hood.
The V-8 engine is presumed to be a version of BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, which was available across the 8 Series range. Van Hooydonk confirmed that V-8 engines will power the coming BMW Alpina production models.
Missoni stated that BMW Alpina will explore a philosophy of “technological openness” when it comes to hybridization and electrification, similar to its parent company, BMW. The designers also mentioned that some of the Alpina character will be implemented via software tuning.
BMW Alpina has always emphasized high-speed cruising and understated performance, versus raw power and extreme handling limits. Van Hooydonk confirmed that speed remains a focus for the brand, with its coming production vehicles targeting top speeds of 186 mph (300 kph).
This speed may not be particularly fast by today’s standards, but the aim is to achieve it effortlessly, as befitting a gentleman’s express. Van Hooydonk said, “BMW Alpina is for connoisseurs who love driving fast. But they don’t want to communicate that they bought a race car. That would be for an M car.”
The Vision BMW Alpina concept features amber DRLs, a prominent shark nose, and the Alpina word mark on the front air dam. Future production cars will retain the signature Alpina design cues, including the Alpina word mark, signature blue and green colors inside, amber daytime running lights, and oval exhaust tips.
They will maintain their focus on high-speed cruising and understated performance. As van Hooydonk and Missoni design production vehicles, they aim to create cars that can achieve high speeds effortlessly, making them perfect for connoisseurs who love driving fast, such as those interested in the launch of new models.
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este provided a fitting backdrop for the unveiling of the Vision BMW Alpina concept, with its picturesque location on the shores of Lake Como in Italy. The event showcased the brand’s commitment to creating high-performance vehicles that are both stylish and understated, which is also discussed in the context of the future of automotive news.
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