{"id":85589,"date":"2026-05-20T15:52:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T19:52:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85589"},"modified":"2026-05-20T15:52:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T19:52:38","slug":"bmw-alpina-missoni-interview-villa-deste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=85589","title":{"rendered":"We Asked BMW ALPINA&#8217;s Design Chief Everything. Here&#8217;s What He Said"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"post-summary-wrap\">\n<h3 class=\"post-summary-title\">Article Summary<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"post-summary-list\">\n<li>Maximilian Missoni, BMW&#8217;s Head of Design for Upper Mid-Size, Luxury Class, and ALPINA, held a roundtable at the 2026 Concorso d&#8217;Eleganza Villa d&#8217;Este following the Vision BMW ALPINA reveal<\/li>\n<li>BMW ALPINA will offer both V8 and electric powertrains from 2027, with the first production model based on the G72 7 Series<\/li>\n<li>Missoni confirmed ALPINA&#8217;s design freedom is greater inside BMW than it ever was as an independent, and that sensors &#8212; not crash safety &#8212; are now the hardest exterior design challenge<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/05\/18\/vision-bmw-alpina-new-real-images\/\">Vision BMW ALPINA<\/a> had just been uncovered the night before on the grounds of Villa d\u2019Este \u2014 a 5.23-meter, V8-powered grand tourer that doubles as the first real signal of what BMW intends to do with the ALPINA name it acquired in 2022. The next morning, over a roundtable at the Concorso d\u2019Eleganza, we got 30 minutes with Maximilian Missoni, BMW\u2019s Head of Design for Upper Mid-Size, Luxury Class, and ALPINA. He\u2019d arrived at BMW almost exactly when the ALPINA project began. The history book was already on his desk.<\/p>\n<h2>Two Brands, One Object<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-04.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513707\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA DESIGN 04\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-04-830x599.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA DESIGN 04\" width=\"830\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-04-830x599.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-04-1419x1024.jpg 1419w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-04-768x554.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-04-1536x1109.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-04.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The first question was the obvious one: where does the design actually come from? Not the high-level B7 and speedboat references BMW has been repeating in press materials, but the real process. Missoni\u2019s answer was more candid than expected.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always sometimes wonder, how do we distill things like brand, things like history into an object,\u201d he said. \u201cIn this case especially, because it\u2019s the blend of two brands, and they have individually very strong history.\u201d A vision car for a single brand is already a complex exercise. A vision car that has to launch an entirely new brand identity at the same time \u2014 with coherent messaging, aesthetics, and values across every touchpoint \u2014 is a different kind of problem. \u201cIf you just do that, you might take a very small step, and very small steps are nice for a year or two, and then they fade.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The leap they took is 5.23 meters long and deliberately positioned at the very top of the luxury tier before the brand works its way down.<\/p>\n<h2>Learning ALPINA From the Inside Out<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-00.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513706\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA DESIGN 00\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-00-830x623.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA DESIGN 00\" width=\"830\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-00-830x623.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-00-1365x1024.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-00-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-00-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-00.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Someone asked what Missoni\u2019s familiarity with ALPINA actually was when he got the project \u2014 whether he came in as a fan, or had to start from scratch. He was honest about it. The Vision BMW ALPINA was essentially the first project he touched when he joined BMW, and his introduction to the brand was the same one most of us had: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/05\/19\/bmw-alpina-vision-car-van-hooydonk-interview-villa-deste-2026\/\">Adrian van Hooydonk<\/a> apparently left an ALPINA history book on his desk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was really, really important and really beautiful journey that we did as a team to dive into all those stories,\u201d Missoni said. The team drove old ALPINAs, scrutinized their interiors, and looked for the details that ALPINA customers notice even if they couldn\u2019t articulate why. \u201cThe little emblems in the carpets \u2014 something you might even overlook if you\u2019re not an ALPINA connoisseur, but if you are an ALPINA customer, you better make sure that emblem is in that carpet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-images-08.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513550\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA IMAGES 08\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-images-08-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA IMAGES 08\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-images-08-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-images-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-images-08-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-images-08-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-images-08.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Someone at the table mentioned the stitching on the back of old ALPINA steering wheels \u2014 how smooth it was compared to the equivalent BMW piece. Missoni nodded. Those are exactly the things the team went looking for.<\/p>\n<p>His favorite classic ALPINA, if you\u2019re curious: the E24-based B7 coupe that inspired the Vision car. \u201cThat is especially one for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>ALPINA vs. M: Why There Was Never a Real Conflict<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-20.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513403\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS 20\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-20-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS 20\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-20-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-20-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-20-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-20-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-20.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Someone raised what seemed like a real tension: how do you run ALPINA and M in the same house without one bleeding into the other? The customers are different people. The jacket analogy came up \u2014 M makes a statement, ALPINA is quiet luxury.<\/p>\n<p>Missoni said the concern was more intense inside BMW early on than it is now. \u201cIn the beginning there were questions: how does BMW ALPINA differ from M? How do you make sure they won\u2019t infringe into each other\u2019s territories?\u201d His read: there was never any real risk. Both brands are rooted in performance, which is why they belong under the same roof. But their expressions are entirely different. \u201cWith M, everything is geared towards track performance, towards a bit more responsive, bit more nervous driving. With ALPINA, it\u2019s all about comfort and luxury and confidence, albeit you still have the power.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The lineup maps cleanly: MINI, BMW, M within BMW, Rolls-Royce. High-performance thinking runs through all of them. The characters don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<h2>Was There Ever a Debate About Making ALPINA a Standalone Brand?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-11.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513410\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS OFFICIAL 11\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-11-830x467.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS OFFICIAL 11\" width=\"830\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-11-830x467.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-11-1820x1024.jpg 1820w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-11-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-11-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-11.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>One question cut closer to the business logic: was there ever serious internal discussion about separating ALPINA entirely from BMW \u2014 not BMW ALPINA, just ALPINA, the way Rolls-Royce operates as its own thing? Missoni didn\u2019t think so, and his reasoning was simple. \u201cEven in the old days, ALPINAs always had a BMW on the hood.\u201d The combination isn\u2019t a surprise to anyone who knows the brand. He compared it to M \u2014 you know there\u2019s a big number behind it, and part of the charm is exactly that. \u201cPart of the charm is the unsaid component, and that comes with the combination of two brands.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>The Design Freedom ALPINA Never Had as an Independent<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513709\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA DESIGN 01\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-01-830x587.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA DESIGN 01\" width=\"830\" height=\"587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-01-830x587.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-01-1448x1024.jpg 1448w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-01-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-01-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-design-01.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>One of the more useful questions asked whether the Vision car\u2019s body \u2014 genuinely distinctive, not just a BMW with a different badge \u2014 was a realistic preview of where production cars would go, or a concept-car fantasy.<\/p>\n<p>Missoni wouldn\u2019t give a black-and-white answer, and that was probably the honest one. But he made the underlying point clearly: ALPINA\u2019s design freedom is greater now than it ever was when the Bovensiepens were running it. \u201cBefore, you needed to always have a very comprehensive base \u2014 the potential freedom of the brand is much greater now than it used to be.\u201d The old model required a donor vehicle that was essentially fully engineered before ALPINA could touch it. Now, with access to BMW Group\u2019s full platform architecture, the brief can start further back. What the Vision car shows, he said, is the potential of the brand \u2014 not necessarily what every production ALPINA will look like, but proof of what\u2019s now possible.<\/p>\n<p>Some engineers from Buchloe followed the brand to Munich. The original ALPINA facility continues, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/09\/28\/alpina-future-plans-bmw-ownership\/\">focused on caring for classic ALPINA vehicles<\/a> \u2014 that part of the story stays in Bavaria, separate from where BMW ALPINA goes next.<\/p>\n<h2>The Deco Line and Where It Actually Came From<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-06.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513412\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS OFFICIAL 06\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-06-830x468.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS OFFICIAL 06\" width=\"830\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-06-830x468.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-06-1817x1024.jpg 1817w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-06-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-06-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-06.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The side graphic has been on every ALPINA since the 1970s, and on the Vision car it\u2019s applied under the clear lacquer \u2014 visible but unfelt, tone-on-tone as standard, available in gold if the customer wants. Someone asked how Missoni thought about balancing heritage elements against genuinely moving the design forward.<\/p>\n<p>His answer was more specific than the usual \u201crespect the past while projecting the future\u201d response that question normally produces. \u201cIt\u2019s so easy to fall back to retro statements, and to me that wouldn\u2019t have been enough.\u201d Rather than accept the thin, fragile version of the Deco line that ALPINA had arrived at over decades of iteration, the team went back to the original. It came from a Fischer ski. Burkard Bovensiepen loved the graphic enough to put it on his race cars in the 1970s \u2014 bold, solid, a clear statement. Over the years it got diluted. \u201cWe said, let\u2019s go back to the 70s, take the initial idea, reinterpret it for the luxury segment, and apply it under the clear lacquer.\u201d You can see it. You cannot feel it. \u201cMaybe Bovensiepen would be happy that it\u2019s finally back to where he wanted it from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>What 300 km\/h Actually Means for Exterior Design<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513332\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA 2\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-2-830x467.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA 2\" width=\"830\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-2-830x467.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-2-1820x1024.jpg 1820w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-2-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpeed, not sport\u201d is ALPINA\u2019s stated philosophy, and the 300 km\/h figure has been attached to it. At the roundtable, the question was whether that\u2019s a real engineering constraint or marketing language.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s real. \u201cThe 300 is a realistic number. I know it\u2019s mostly relevant for Germany, but it\u2019s still nice to know that you could, if you wanted to, and if you were allowed to.\u201d What it means for Missoni\u2019s job: aerodynamics becomes the dominant design constraint in a way that most luxury brands never have to confront. \u201cSome other brands don\u2019t even need to worry about those kinds of things \u2014 wind noise, for example. To a certain speed, you don\u2019t need to worry about certain shapes, because you\u2019ll be fine. But if you go towards 300, suddenly physics changes. Aerodynamics \u2014 it\u2019s exponential. The forces are exponential. Things that are happening are quite different, and we have to design around those constraints.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>The Biggest Design Challenge Isn\u2019t Crash Safety \u2014 It\u2019s Sensors<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-16.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513401\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS 16\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-16-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS 16\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-16-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-16-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-16.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a version of this conversation where pedestrian safety regulations are the villain \u2014 sharp noses versus soft front ends, the classic tension between styling and compliance. Missoni said the team expected that to be the hardest problem.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t. The shark nose, incidentally, is fine. There\u2019s a 30-degree angle rule that means a sufficiently inclined surface deflects a pedestrian around the vehicle rather than into the dangerous hard components. \u201cBut as it turns out, the biggest challenge is all the driver assist sensor systems \u2014 all the cameras and radars and laser scanners. Integrating all these components is, from an exterior point of view, the biggest challenge of our days.\u201d Dozens of sensors and cameras, each needing to be housed somewhere visible enough to function and invisible enough not to ruin the design, on every model, getting harder with every generation. Someone at the table mentioned ultra-premium brands already running asymmetrical sensor clusters in their grilles. \u201cIt takes some consideration to integrate everything. And it\u2019s getting more and more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On autonomous driving specifically \u2014 whether ALPINA would philosophically lean away from Level 3 capability in favor of a more driver-focused approach \u2014 Missoni wasn\u2019t ready to reveal yet. His answer was essentially that the question misses the point: one of the things that makes BMW ALPINA attractive from the start is full access to BMW\u2019s entire technology portfolio. He wouldn\u2019t draw a line there.<\/p>\n<h2>Engineering Character: What Happens to the Old ALPINA Spec Books?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-25.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513397\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS 25\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-25-830x553.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS 25\" width=\"830\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-25-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-25-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-25-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-25-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-25.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The old independent ALPINA had a literal book \u2014 engine components, suspension upgrades, exhaust systems. Physical modifications, documented and delivered. Someone asked whether that tradition continues under BMW, or whether software has replaced it entirely.<\/p>\n<p>Missoni\u2019s answer was that both are true and not mutually exclusive. Physical changes will still happen, to a degree that depends on the model. But on the electric side, the work is in software \u2014 building an ALPINA character into the powertrain\u2019s behavior, its responses, the way it delivers. \u201cThe engineers are working on a very unique ALPINA behavior, ALPINA character, and that\u2019s what you can expect.\u201d Whether it arrives through hardware or code depends on what the vehicle needs.<\/p>\n<h2>Individualization: Where BMW ALPINA Sits Between BMW and Rolls-Royce<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-8.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513337\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA 8\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-8-830x467.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA 8\" width=\"830\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-8-830x467.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-8-1820x1024.jpg 1820w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-8-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-8-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Vision-BMW-ALPINA-8-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At $250,000 to $300,000, the first BMW ALPINA production model puts itself in territory where customers expect more than a configurator. The question of what ALPINA\u2019s version of bespoke looks like came up directly.<\/p>\n<p>Missoni laid out a two-tier approach: a curated path, where ALPINA pre-approves combinations so the customer can\u2019t accidentally make something tasteless, and a fully open path for those who want to deviate from the palette entirely. What it won\u2019t offer is the Rolls-Royce private office experience \u2014 a designer in the room, co-creating a coach-built car from scratch. \u201cThat\u2019s where Rolls-Royce starts.\u201d Within the dealership network, selected locations will have dedicated ALPINA spaces. Standalone ALPINA locations are in discussion with regional markets but not confirmed. The idea of customers watching their car being built \u2014 something that costs relatively little to offer and tends to create loyalty that\u2019s hard to replicate \u2014 was raised at the table and received a straightforward \u201cthis could be an idea for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Will U.S. Customers Ever Get an ALPINA Coupe?<\/h2>\n<p>Historically, the American market has only received ALPINA sedans. The B7 coupe that inspired the Vision car never made it over. Someone asked whether that changes under BMW.<\/p>\n<p>Missoni wouldn\u2019t commit to future products \u2014 the standard answer \u2014 but he did say the brand is starting top-down, with the Vision car\u2019s 5.23-meter length as the opening statement. \u201cIt\u2019s nearly as long as the 7 Series. It\u2019s really deliberately positioned at the top end of the lineup, which then points towards the type of cars we will start trickling down.\u201d He added that a coupe is imaginable, without saying anything more specific than that. It wasn\u2019t a no.<\/p>\n<h2>Electrification and the Irony of How BMW ALPINA Got Here<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-00.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-513414\" title=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS OFFICIAL 00\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-00-830x623.jpg\" alt=\"VISION BMW ALPINA PHOTOS OFFICIAL 00\" width=\"830\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-00-830x623.jpg 830w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-00-1365x1024.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-00-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-00-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.bmwblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vision-bmw-alpina-photos-official-00.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/05\/19\/bmw-alpina-electric-cars-2027\/\">BMW ALPINA will offer electric powertrains<\/a>. The Bovensiepen family sold the brand in 2022 partly because they couldn\u2019t make that work themselves \u2014 the software engineering required to make an electric ALPINA feel like something more than a rebadged BMW would have cost more than a low-volume independent manufacturer could justify. BMW can justify it.<\/p>\n<p>Missoni put the philosophy plainly: \u201cI would say the same rule applies as we have for BMW as a brand, so technology openness \u2014 even ALPINA will offer both powertrain options.\u201d Combustion and full electric, from the BMW portfolio, given the ALPINA treatment. \u201cThe customers will have a choice out of the portfolio of powertrains of the respective BMW vehicles, and then they will get the ALPINA treatment and be maxed out in terms of power and performance and comfort and luxury \u2014 that\u2019s the beauty of being within the group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2026\/05\/15\/bmw-confirms-alpina-7-series-2027\/\">The first production BMW ALPINA arrives in 2027<\/a>, based on the G70 7 Series \u2014 internally coded as the G72. It launches as a pure V8, with electric variants to follow. Whether it carries the B7 name or something new \u2014 suffixes like 80 and 100 have been discussed in relation to other planned models \u2014 hasn\u2019t been confirmed. The direction is top-down, starting at the large luxury end of the market before working toward anything smaller. An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwblog.com\/2025\/03\/29\/electric-bmw-alpina-x7-nearly-900-horsepower\/\">ALPINA X7<\/a> or X5 to compete with the Mercedes-Maybach GLS is the obvious next question. Missoni\u2019s answer was the same one he gave on coupes: \u201cWe\u2019re going top-down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whether an electric ALPINA can actually feel like an ALPINA is the question no one at the roundtable could answer yet. The engineers are working on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Article Summary Maximilian Missoni, BMW&#8217;s Head of Design for Upper Mid-Size, Luxury Class, and ALPINA, held a roundtable at the 2026 Concorso d&#8217;Eleganza Villa d&#8217;Este following the Vision BMW ALPINA reveal BMW ALPINA will offer both V8 and electric powertrains from 2027, with the first production model based on the G72 7 Series Missoni confirmed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85590,"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-85589","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\/85589","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=85589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85589\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/85590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=85589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=85589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}