{"id":84824,"date":"2026-02-09T16:15:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T21:15:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=84824"},"modified":"2026-02-09T16:15:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T21:15:25","slug":"bmw-bespoke-alpina-coupe-skytop-speedtop-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=84824","title":{"rendered":"BMW Opened the Bespoke Door With Skytop and Speedtop. Now It&#8217;s Time for an ALPINA Coupe."},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"post-summary-wrap\">\n<h3 class=\"post-summary-title\">Article Summary<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"post-summary-list\">\n<li>BMW&#8217;s Skytop (50 units) and Speedtop (70 units) proved the market will pay \u20ac500,000 for bespoke cars with a roundel \u2014 opening a door Adrian Van Hooydonk spent decades trying to unlock.<\/li>\n<li>A bespoke ALPINA grand touring coupe would slot naturally against the Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin DB12, and Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe, leveraging ALPINA&#8217;s heritage of Rolls-Royce-rivaling leather, comfort-tuned suspensions, and understated elegance.<\/li>\n<li>At 50\u201370 units and \u20ac500,000, the price wouldn&#8217;t feel like a stretch \u2014 ALPINA customers already expect a premium \u2014 and it would cement ALPINA&#8217;s position in BMW&#8217;s Luxury Layer just below Rolls-Royce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/11\/03\/bmw-skytop-production-car-images\/\">Skytop<\/a> changed everything. Not because it was the fastest BMW, or the most technologically advanced, or even the most practical \u2014 it was none of those things. What the Skytop did \u2014 a two-seater open-top with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/01\/27\/bmw-skytop-production-model-synthetic-leather-roof\/\">removable hardtop<\/a> that tucks neatly into the trunk \u2014 was prove that BMW\u2019s board of directors could say yes to a dream. After decades of Adrian Van Hooydonk sketching concepts that never left the show floor \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/06\/23\/bmw-zagato-coupe-display-bmw-museum\/\">Zagato Coup\u00e9<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2023\/12\/30\/850000-dollars-pininfarina-and-bmw-gran-lusso-coupe-concept\/\">Pininfarina Gran Lusso<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2024\/12\/29\/bmw-m1-hommage-supercar-v10-engine\/\">M1 Hommage<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/07\/04\/bmw-z4-touring-coupe-concept-story\/\">Z4 Touring Concept<\/a> \u2014 the head of BMW Design finally got his green light. And at 500,000 euros for 50 hand-built units, the market responded with a resounding yes of its own.<\/p>\n<p>Then came the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/05\/23\/bmw-speedtop-official-reveal-details\/\">Speedtop<\/a>. Seventy units, same price point, but a different animal entirely. Where the Skytop was a romantic open-top tribute to the 507 and Z8, the Speedtop is a shooting brake \u2014 a body style BMW has never attempted in production. That long, sweeping roofline falling into a muscular rear end created one of the most striking silhouettes to wear a roundel.<\/p>\n<p>The interior pushed even further upmarket, with refinements that made the already exceptional Skytop feel like a first draft. Both cars share proper V8 power from the M8\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2024\/12\/29\/bmw-s63-engine-reliability-efficiency-tuning\/\">S63 engine<\/a>, which alone is enough to make enthusiasts weep with joy in an era increasingly defined by electrification.<\/p>\n<p>So the question isn\u2019t whether BMW should keep going. They will. The question is: what comes next?<\/p>\n<h3>The Case for a Grand Tourer<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_510437\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-510437\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bentley-Continental-GT-00.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-510437\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bentley-Continental-GT-00-830x554.jpg\" alt=\"BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT 00\" width=\"830\" height=\"554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bentley-Continental-GT-00-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bentley-Continental-GT-00-1535x1024.jpg 1535w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bentley-Continental-GT-00-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bentley-Continental-GT-00-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bentley-Continental-GT-00-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bentley-Continental-GT-00.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-510437\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image by Bentley Media Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Here is our opinion, and we want to be clear \u2014 this is not based on any inside information. It\u2019s a thought exercise. One that may not even be feasible from a business standpoint. But if BMW\u2019s bespoke team is looking for the next logical step, we believe the answer is staring them in the face.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s time for a coupe. Not another M car. Not a track weapon. A grand tourer \u2014 something impossibly elegant, deeply luxurious, and built for crossing continents in absolute comfort. Think of the segment occupied by the Bentley Continental GT, the Aston Martin DB12, the Ferrari Roma. These are cars that deliver a unique presence and refinement, along with fantastic lap times, if needed. There are cars that make a statement pulling up to a hotel in Monaco just as convincingly as they devour a mountain pass in the Alps.<\/p>\n<p>BMW, on its own, would struggle to justify a half-million-euro coupe, at least according to enthusiasts. The brand\u2019s DNA leans sporty, dynamic, driver-focused. A grand touring coupe at this price point might feel like a stretch. But BMW no longer stands alone in the luxury space.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/12\/11\/alpina-ceo-reveals-how-bmw-approached-company-2021\/\">They have ALPINA.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Why ALPINA Is the Perfect Vessel<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ALPINA-B8-GT-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-494078\" title=\"ALPINA B8 GT-6\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ALPINA-B8-GT-6-830x519.jpg\" alt=\"The ALPINA B8 GT\" width=\"830\" height=\"519\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ALPINA-B8-GT-6-830x519.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ALPINA-B8-GT-6-1638x1024.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ALPINA-B8-GT-6-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ALPINA-B8-GT-6-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ALPINA-B8-GT-6-2048x1280.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Since BMW completed its acquisition of ALPINA, the question has always been what the brand would become under Munich\u2019s full ownership. The rumored ALPINA B7 is still based on the current 7 Series platform and ideas. But a bespoke ALPINA coupe could answer it far more powerfully.<\/p>\n<p>Consider what ALPINA has always represented: refinement over aggression, comfort over lap times, craftsmanship over spec-sheet wars. ALPINA interiors have historically gone toe-to-toe with Rolls-Royce in leather quality. Their suspensions have always been tuned for grand touring comfort rather than track-day stiffness. Their design philosophy favors elegance over theatrics \u2014 subtle pinstripes instead of carbon splitters, classic multi-spoke wheels instead of angular motorsport designs, reserved color palettes that whisper rather than shout.<\/p>\n<p>Now imagine all of that channeled into a low-volume, bespoke grand touring coupe.<\/p>\n<h3>What It Could Look Like<\/h3>\n<p>Picture a long-hooded, two-door coupe with proportions that echo the great GTs of automotive history. A fastback roofline that manages to look both athletic and dignified. The ALPINA signature elements would be present but restrained: the classic multi-spoke wheels, perhaps in a forged 21-inch configuration, a heritage color created exclusively for the model, and that distinctive ALPINA lettering integrated into the design rather than simply applied to it.<\/p>\n<p>Under the hood, a twin-turbocharged V8 \u2014 they have the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2022\/04\/13\/2023-alpina-xb7-revealed-s68-engine\/\">S68 engine<\/a> \u2014 would receive ALPINA\u2019s signature tuning philosophy. Not necessarily more power, but more usable power, delivered with a smoothness and linearity that flatters the driver rather than intimidating them. The exhaust note would be deep and cultured, not aggressive. The suspension would be tuned for long-distance comfort without sacrificing composure.<\/p>\n<p>Inside is where the concept truly comes alive. ALPINA-quality leather throughout, with hand-finished details that rival anything coming out of Goodwood. The brogue stitching introduced in the Skytop would find a natural home here. Handcrafted wood or open-pore aluminum trim, depending on the customer\u2019s preference. Every surface your hand touches would feel considered, intentional, bespoke.<\/p>\n<h3>The Business Case Writes Itself<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/bmw-alpina-b8-gran-coupe-green-34.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-429866\" title=\"2022 BMW ALPINA B8 Gran Coup\u00e9 G16\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/bmw-alpina-b8-gran-coupe-green-34-830x554.jpg\" alt=\"2022 BMW ALPINA B8 Gran Coup\u00e9 \" width=\"830\" height=\"554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/bmw-alpina-b8-gran-coupe-green-34-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/bmw-alpina-b8-gran-coupe-green-34-1535x1024.jpg 1535w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/bmw-alpina-b8-gran-coupe-green-34-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/bmw-alpina-b8-gran-coupe-green-34-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/bmw-alpina-b8-gran-coupe-green-34-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/bmw-alpina-b8-gran-coupe-green-34.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here is the beauty of the proposition: the price would not feel like a stretch. BMW\u2019s bespoke customers have already demonstrated a willingness to pay 500,000 euros for a car wearing a roundel. An ALPINA grand tourer at that same price \u2014 or even slightly above it \u2014 would feel entirely justified. ALPINA has always commanded a premium over standard BMW models.<\/p>\n<p>Customers expect it. They welcome it. The brand equity is already there.<\/p>\n<p>A production run of 50 to 70 units would maintain the scarcity and exclusivity that makes these cars special. It would also position ALPINA precisely where BMW wants it in their luxury architecture: sitting in the upper reaches of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/01\/02\/bmw-alpina-standalone-brand-2026\/\">BMW Luxury Layer<\/a>, just below Rolls-Royce. Not competing with Rolls-Royce, but complementing it. Where Rolls-Royce offers opulence and chauffeur-driven grandeur, ALPINA would offer sporting elegance and driver-focused luxury.<\/p>\n<h3>Will It Happen?<\/h3>\n<p>Maybe not this year. Maybe not even with the next bespoke release. But the door is open now, and Adrian Van Hooydonk\u2019s team has proven they can walk through it. The Skytop proved the concept. The Speedtop proved it wasn\u2019t a one-off. A bespoke ALPINA grand touring coupe would prove that BMW is serious about playing in a segment it has long admired from the outside.<\/p>\n<p>And honestly? We don\u2019t see the design team in Munich not at least sketching this one out. Some ideas are simply too good to stay on the shelf forever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article Summary BMW&#8217;s Skytop (50 units) and Speedtop (70 units) proved the market will pay \u20ac500,000 for bespoke cars with a roundel \u2014 opening a door Adrian Van Hooydonk spent decades trying to unlock. A bespoke ALPINA grand touring coupe would slot naturally against the Bentley Continental GT, Aston Martin DB12, and Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":84825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=84824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/84825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=84824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=84824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=84824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}