Article Summary
- Renderings claiming to show the Vision BMW ALPINA are nothing more than a Photoshop exercise designed to generate clicks.
- The real deal looks substantially different, and it’s certainly not a rebodied 8 Series like the rendering would have you believe.
- All will be revealed on May 15 ahead of the concept’s public debut at the 2026 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este this weekend.
With the risk of sounding ironic, don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. Shortly after ALPINA shared a teaser of its first car in the BMW era, images claiming to show the coupe flooded social media. It didn’t take long for some automotive websites to present the car as the real thing. However, it isn’t.
BMWBLOG has it on good authority that the purported Vision BMW ALPINA images are nothing more than a quick attempt to generate clicks. The actual concept is far more substantial than the 8 Series redux the fake photos would have you believe. While the renderings claiming to show the one-off suggest some sort of Skytop coupe, the real concept is radically different.
A new teaser shared earlier today confirms the concept is a clean-sheet design rather than an 8 Series remix. We can catch a glimpse of what appears to be a large front grille with prominent kidneys and an illuminated contour. The faux concept causing a stir online features a much smaller grille inherited from the now-defunct G15.
The Vision BMW ALPINA Is Not An 8 Series With A Body Kit
When the wraps come off tomorrow, the concept is unlikely to share much, if anything, with the 8 Series. It’s too soon to say whether a production version will follow, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed. Hopefully, the positive feedback enjoyed by the Skytop and Speedtop will convince BMW’s higher-ups to green-light this project as well.
The M8-based targa and shooting brake models are already sold out. If the ALPINA coupe generates similar interest from wealthy customers, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a limited-run production version follow. As a refresher, the Skytop was an instant hit at the 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. The same goes for the Speedtop two-door wagon, unveiled a year later at the same event.
Both were reportedly priced in the €500,000 range, although BMW never confirmed the figures. The Skytop is capped at 50 units, while the Speedtop is slightly less exclusive at 70 cars. If the ALPINA-badged coupe gets the green light, it too will likely cost far more than BMW’s regular production models.
As for the direction ALPINA is taking, Oliver Zipse explained its positioning during his final speech as BMW Group CEO yesterday:
“With BMW ALPINA, we are tapping into a highly profitable, high-growth segment positioned above the BMW brand’s top models and below our Rolls-Royce luxury brand.”