BMW Alpina’s First Production Car Glides During High-Speed Testing

BMW is testing its first production model under its new BMW Alpina subbrand, and Alpina’s original mantra rings clear through the camouflage in the automaker’s sneak peek. While it’ll be a high-speed beast, the goal is to deliver an incredibly smooth ride.

Alpina began as a German tuner company in the early 1960s that specialized in high-performance engines with the ultimate comfortable cabin. Rather than outfitting BMWs to attack tracks, Alpina built cars that glided on pavement and wrapped drivers in luxury materials. BMW recently took control of the company and re-established it as a subbrand, much like Mercedes-Maybach.

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We reported early this year that the first BMW Alpina production car would likely be inspired by the 7-series. Then, in May, the automaker unveiled the Vision BMW Alpina concept, which was said to be inspiration for the upcoming model. New photos and videos of the prototype Alpina show strong 7-series bones, with the build taking on more of a standard sedan silhouette than the concept’s smooth, sweeping rear end.

No Alpina is complete without its signature 20-spoke wheels, and BMW says the upcoming model takes the light alloy rollers to the next level by wrapping them in specially developed tires with a layer of foam inside for a smoother ride. Talk about bougie.

Tech specs are still few and far between, and the only thing BMW has confirmed in terms of performance is that the Alpina will be powered by a V-8. A video from BMW shows the car reaching over 186 mph during high-speed testing in Italy. Since this isn’t a track-focused model, the exterior lacks some of the aero bits that would normally accompany a faster, more expensive BMW. Instead, most of the Alpina’s standout exterior qualities are found in the rear, where quad-oval exhaust pipes and a small spoiler break up the standard 7-series’s body lines.

Based on the video below, the interior looks pretty similar to the 7-series, with a thin panoramic display and two screens along the dashboard. It gets the same four-spoke steering wheel as the 7-series, but the seats seem to be a bit different than the stock option, and it’s likely the cabin will be dressed in upgraded materials.

The ultra-luxury sedan will be the first to roll out under BMW Alpina, and it’s expected to arrive sometime next year. BMW hasn’t said what else is on the horizon for the brand, though it’s likely the three-row BMW X7 SUV will be the next to get Alpina treatment.

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Alayna Wilkening grew up reading motorsport magazines and following her grandpa around his Chevrolet dealership's showroom floor. In true Hoosier fashion, her first car was a hot pink custom cardboard "Fiero-vette" for her kindergarten Kindy 500 race. She now autocrosses a 1994 Miata with her dad, which she learned to drive the night before her first event. Alayna went to Indiana University and graduated with a degree in journalism and a minor in graphic design. As a testament to her great taste in cars, her first real one was a metallic orange 2007 Chevy HHR, which she lovingly called "The Dumptruck."  

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