The Alpina will get you there, while the M is the vehicle for the track.
Automotive passion, cutting-edge technical training, ongoing innovation implementation, and a well-rounded staff of passionate “movers” create the distinctive and effective high-performance vehicles created by ALPINA that provide ideal daily usability. -Alpina
Alpina is the master carmaker for BMW. Hand-built engines are available, and Alpina saddlery can be chosen for the interior instead of the standard leather and stitching used by BMW. They are shipped to the BMW facility for final assembly once Alpina completes the construction of their interiors, motors, and parts. The aggressive, track-ready beast that the M’s are known for is not what Alpina aims to be. Instead, they are only strong and opulent. designed for the regular driving that takes place on our roads. In the long run, this mentality results in a car that is more pleasant and useful. Giving the performance while maintaining the comfort and luxury required for daily driving.
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Alpina
Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH & Co. KG is a German automaker with headquarters in Buchloe, in the Ostallgau region of Bavaria. The firm creates and markets high-performance variants of BMW vehicles.
In contrast to other performance experts, which are aftermarket tuners, Alpina collaborates closely with BMW and has methods that are incorporated into BMW’s manufacturing lines. As a result, Alpina is recognized by the German Ministry of Transport as an automobile manufacturer. For instance, the BMW Plant Dingolfing in Dingolfing, Germany, produces both the Alpina B7 and the company’s own 7 Series on the same production line. At Alpina’s plant in Buchloe, Germany, the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 for the B7 is hand-assembled before being delivered to BMW for installation. After installation, the car is sent back to Alpina for finishing touches.
Burkard Bovensiepen, a businessman from the Bovensiepen family, created the company in 1965.
Years ago, Alpina began producing performance components for BMW and developed into a maker of performance vehicles.
After over 60 years, Alpina will now formally become a member of BMW. Beginning in 1965, the company produced fast parts for BMWs and subsequently tuning models before transitioning to becoming a manufacturer in the early 1980s, albeit one that produced enhanced BMWs. With strengthened engines and transmissions, Alpina BMWs now give performance that is comparable to that of BMW’s high-performance M vehicles, but with an emphasis on maintaining comfort and luxury rather than outright rawness. Through 2025, Alpina, a separate company, has a contract in place with BMW dealerships to sell its products, but that arrangement will now alter as a result of BMW acquiring the company’s rights.
Alpinas are now constructed in the Bavarian region of Buchloe (and where BMW also is based). As 2025 approaches, the business will make adjustments to Alpina’s staff, either by reassigning some employees to roles within the BMW Group or by assisting them in finding new employment in the automotive sector, should authorities approve BMW’s acquisition of Alpina.
Why? The majority, if not all, of that final work will likely be done in-house by BMW, which already begins manufacture of every Alpina car in its own factory before sending the model to Alpina’s Buchloe workshop for final assembly and customization. According to BMW, “the service, parts, and accessories business at the Buchloe site will continue for the long future for the existing and historic BMW Alpina vehicle range.” Additionally, “a further growth of the existing development services business for BMW” will be hosted on the website.
Although Alpina experienced remarkable success in 2021, BMW believes that difficult times are ahead for tiny manufacturers like Alpina due to the industry’s increasing electrification and has acquired Alpina’s brand and trademarks (albeit, curiously, no actual interests in the firm). BMW is purchasing the company in order to maintain the brand and guide it into this new phase and continue to offer its clients specialist sport-luxury vehicles bearing the legendary Alpina name.
While this Mercedes-Benz acquisition of AMG in 1999 may sound similar to this BMW-Alpina development—AMG, like Alpina, was a private firm that offered modified Benzes and parts but had a tight relationship with Mercedes—remember that BMW already has its own AMG: BMW M GmbH. M has been an internal company for many years and was originally BMW’s motorsports division. We’re curious to see what happens to Alpina’s existing portfolio, which includes the B8 Gran Coupe, B7 sedan, and XB7 SUV in the U.S., as BMW moves toward an all-electric future.
Alpina Performance Brand Joins the BMW Family
After 57 years, the prestigious tiny tuning company is being acquired by the car company, and after 2025, we can anticipate that all new Alpina models will be produced directly by BMW.
- Alpina, a small but well-known German tuner, has long produced its own versions of BMW vehicles.
- After 57 years of being a separate entity, the company is now being incorporated into the BMW corporate world.
- After 2025, new Alpina variants of BMWs will no longer be developed at the company’s Buchloe, Germany, headquarters. Despite this, the future of the Alpina brand under BMW ownership is still bright.
In contrast to the size and scope of Germany’s leading automakers, Alpina has long been a colorful outlier. The tuner was created as a result of an unusual transition from office supplies to performance components for BMW. With the cooperation of the larger firm, the symbiotic connection developed to the point where Alpina was producing its own variations of BMW models and even receiving early access to upcoming vehicles to help it plan its variations. Alpina distributed popular models like the XB7 through BMW in the United States, while in other nations, the two businesses were at least nominally in direct rivalry.
The 57-year cooperation between the two companies is about to come to an end, and it appears that after 2025, the Buchloe, Germany, factory will no longer be used for the development or production of new variations. This appears to be the result of two factors, the first of which is the increased difficulty of overcoming impossibly high compliance barricades. Alpina stated in its official statement that “the demands and risks for small-series manufacturers are increasing due to the politically motivated shift to electric mobility as well as tightening global regulatory demands, especially on vehicle emissions, software validation, and requirements on safeguarding driver assistant and supervisory systems.”
At the XB7’s 2020 European premiere, Alpina CEO Andeas Bovensiepen acknowledged that electrification was a significant obstacle that the small business would find difficult to overcome.
Paradoxically, Alpina’s rising success is the second factor. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s consequences, 2021 was the business’s most prosperous year to yet, with more than 2000 cars shipped worldwide. BMW obviously sees room for growth in that number and is likely considering how to include Alpina into its larger portfolio in a manner similar to how it has done with its own M division. (Alpina has traditionally mixed speed with increasing luxury; M’s brief is pure performance.)
Up until 2025, Alpina will continue to produce modified versions of current (and upcoming) BMW vehicles in Buchloe, after which the company will fully integrate the brand into the corporate Borg. Then, we assume, BMW’s facilities will handle development and production. The Bovensiepen family will also establish a new business under its own name, which will continue to work with vintage vehicles (presumably still BMWs) and provide engineering consulting services to other automakers in addition to BMW.
We are saddened by the demise of such a fascinating, independent firm, especially one that developed automotive pinstriping into such an art, and we hope that there will be more intriguing Alpina-branded vehicles in the future.
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BMW and Alpina interchangeably?
Alpina’s focus today is on BMW customisation. The company operates independently of BMW while remaining a long-term collaborator. It creates high-performance versions of BMW.
What model year did Alpina BMW debut?
Alpina automobiles began competing in racing competitions in 1968 and won numerous races. The 1970 European Touring Championship, German Hillclimb Championship rallies, and Spa 24 Hours victories by Alpina were significant victories. In 1988, Alpina stopped competing because of engine limitations.
Alpina automobiles were known for their 20-spoke alloy wheels, “Alpina Blue” metallic paint, and plush interiors. The Alpina C1, which was based on the BMW E21 3-series, was a pioneering example. The vehicle had a 170 horsepower output and a 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds. On the seats was the standard blue and green Alpina interior design.
The German Federal Ministry of Transport recognized Alpina as a car manufacturer in 1983. Unlike BMW, Alpina vehicles are branded with the Alpina name. Specific BMW dealerships still sell Alpina automobiles.
The increased focus on high performance was another way that Alpina and BMW were different. For instance, the Alpina B5’s 4.4-litre V8 engine was supercharged to produce a significant amount of torque.
Alpina has drawn interest from other companies in the past, including Jaguar, which once intended to buy the business. Alpina has never wavered in their mission to create quick and potent vehicles throughout the history of the brand.
Why did BMW purchase Alpina?
After more than 50 years of cooperative separation, BMW Group has acquired the Alpina name in an effort to bring the venerable tuning company and its well-established branding within its umbrella. We already know this because it was revealed in mid-March 2022.
What number of BMW Alpina B6s were produced?
2019 BMW ALPINA B6 Gran Coupe Production was limited to 1948 units. 600 horsepower and 590 torque provide the ideal balance of power and comfort.