The next BMW Alpina is coming. What it will be called is another question and BMW isn’t answering it.
On 15 May 2026, BMW used the reveal of its striking one-off Vision BMW Alpina coupe to slip out a line most headlines missed: “Next year, customers will be able to experience the first model of the BMW ALPINA brand — inspired by the BMW 7 Series, but unmistakably BMW ALPINA.” That makes it official: the first car from the newly-formed BMW ALPINA brand, arriving in 2027, will be built on the recently facelifted 7 Series (BMW, 15 May 2026).
Notice what BMW did not say: the word “B7.”
For four years, the B7 has been gone. The last one, sold in 2022, was the G11-generation sedan with a 600-horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 (BMW PressClub). Before that, the lineage ran back to 1987 and the E32-based B11 3.5. So when people hear “Alpina returns to the 7 Series,” they assume the B7 is back. BMW hasn’t confirmed that name — and credible reports suggest it won’t return at all. Which makes this preview less about nostalgia and more about a brand being rebuilt from the inside.
First, what changed since the B7 left
The B7 died under Alpina. The return happens under BMW.
In early 2022, BMW acquired the rights to the ALPINA brand name. The old arrangement — Alpina buying 7 Series shells, refining them in Buchloe, then selling them as ALPINA — is over. The new arrangement, confirmed by company officials, makes BMW ALPINA a house brand inside BMW Group, positioned deliberately between BMW and Rolls-Royce. Alpina’s boss, Oliver Viellechner, has described the first car as a bridge across that gap, with lower production numbers, a higher price, and personalization options that go well beyond what a regular 7 Series buyer gets.
We reviewed the outgoing Alpina B7 while it was still on sale — grand touring with an emphasis on “grand.” The 2027 car is aiming for the same territory, but it will be built entirely inside BMW’s own structure.
The 7 Series it’s based on — a bigger deal than the facelift
The new Alpina sits on the updated 7 Series that BMW unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show on 22 April 2026, and BMW calls this update the most extensive mid-cycle refresh in the company’s history (BMW PressClub). It’s the first luxury sedan to get the Neue Klasse tech stack, which matters because everything here previews what cascades down the entire BMW lineup.
What changed Detail
Interior BMW Panoramic iDrive (Operating System X), 17.9″ touchscreen, first-ever standard 14.6″ passenger screen on a BMW, 3D head-up display, new 12/6-spoke steering wheel, 31.3″ 8K Theatre Screen with built-in camera
Exterior Monolithic front, slimmer upright grille, retained split headlights, new hood, two-line taillights reaching to the badge, 22″ wheels from the factory for the first time, 500+ individual colors incl. matte/gloss Dual Finish
Gas engines 740 xDrive becomes the first petrol-only 7 Series in Europe — B58 inline-six now 394 hp (Miller cycle, new turbo); 750e PHEV at 483 hp; the V8 760i is on hiatus
i7 electric Gen6 round cells (112.5 kWh), over 720 km / 447 mi WLTP, charging up to 250 kW — roughly 235 km added in 10 minutes
Driver assistance Motorway Assistant (hands-off up to 130 km/h), City Assistant for door-to-door urban drives, AI-assisted parking
That last row matters for the Alpina story too: BMW leaned heavily on AI for this car — parking, driving assistance, and a much smarter voice assistant (now with Amazon Alexa+). It’s the same direction we explored in our look at how Mercedes is embedding its MBUX assistant into its cars — the luxury sedan is quietly becoming a software product with wheels.
What BMW actually confirms about the Alpina
Keep this list separate from the rumors below. This is what’s on the record:
Base: the facelifted 7 Series G70.
Timing: arriving next year, 2027.
Engine direction: a V8. Viellechner told CarBuzz directly: “A pure V8 without a plug” — no hybrid assist on this first model (CarBuzz, May 2026).
Character: not an M car. Comfort-first, “travel fast and far in great comfort,” with a Comfort+ setting beyond standard BMW calibration.
Positioning: above the standard 7 Series, rarer, more expensive, heavy on personalization.
That “pure V8 without a plug” line is worth sitting with for a second. In 2026 — with every rival chasing electrification, and with the i7 flagship available in the same showroom — BMW Alpina’s first act is a combustion V8 with no battery assist at all. It’s a deliberate, contrarian brand statement: Alpina customers are not EV customers yet, and BMW is comfortable saying so out loud. We covered the broader cost argument in our electric vs gas comparison for 2026 — the calculus still favors a big V8 for buyers in this segment who value range and character over running costs.
What the rumor mill says — take with caution
None of this is official, but multiple independent reports keep converging:
Power: a reworked version of the S68 twin-turbo V8 expected around 617 hp — above the old B7’s 591 hp and past even the V12-era M760i on gasoline output (BMWBLOG).
Platform code: the Alpina range is said to carry its own internal code, G72, signalling real differentiation rather than a trim package.
Lineup: reports mention multiple variants — possibly a six-cylinder entry, an eight-cylinder flagship, and even an electric model based on the i7 M70.
Production: reportedly starting around July 2027.
Price: expect a six-figure starting figure, with Motor1 floating roughly $200,000 before options.
The last line is the weakest evidence here. BMW has published no pricing, and any specific number right now is an estimate. What’s safer to say: it will be priced somewhere between a fully-loaded 7 Series and a base Rolls-Royce Ghost — which is exactly where BMW wants it.
Why this matters
Three reasons, in order of importance:
1. It’s a test of “Alpina under BMW.” Enthusiasts have spent four years arguing about whether BMW can run Alpina without killing it. The B7 sold in small numbers and felt hand-made; a three-model range built inside BMW risks feeling like a trim level. The G72 code, the V8-only positioning, and the “unmistakably BMW ALPINA” language are BMW’s answer to that concern. Whether it lands is a 2027 question.
2. It fills a real hole in BMW’s lineup. Between a
100,0007 Serie s and a 100,000 7 Serie s and a 370,000 Rolls-Royce Ghost there’s a gap that Bentley and Mercedes-Maybach currently own. The Alpina is BMW’s play for that space a flagship that’s more special than a loaded BMW but less formal than a Rolls.
3. It reconnects the 7 Series to its heritage. The facelifted G70 is a technology statement (Neue Klasse, Panoramic iDrive, AI assistance). The Alpina version is BMW’s way of keeping the same car rooted in the thing that made the 7 Series a legend in the first place: a big, fast, quiet sedan that does its job without shouting.
What it means for you
If you own a B7: hold onto it — at least until BMW settles the naming question. A confirmed name (or its absence) will move collector interest one way or the other.
If you’re shopping for a 7 Series: the Alpina’s existence affects the timing of your purchase. A new flagship variant usually doesn’t change the base car’s price, but it changes the used market for the current model.
If you’re an Alpina fan: read BMW’s exact wording before trusting the “B7 is back” headlines. The brand is returning to the 7 Series in 2027. The name — and the soul of the old car — is still an open question, and that’s worth tracking between now and the reveal.
Independent technology writer focused on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and digital innovation. Covers AI applications in sports, productivity, and online business.
