According to sources, BMW is preparing a new 7 Series under the ALPINA brand as the brand’s next phase begins under full BMW control after the current agreement ends at the end of 2025.
The new ALPINA 7 Series will be based on the revised BMW 7 Series (G70 LCI), but will have its own internal code name: G72. This suggests more substantial differentiation than ALPINA’s current “one-model” approach to the outgoing generation. (For reference: The 7 Series armored protection model uses its own code, G73, instead of sharing G70.)
Timing: First BMW facelift, later ALPINA
BMW is scheduled to begin production of the 7 Series facelift in July 2026. The ALPINA versions are expected to launch after production of the facelift, with current rumors pointing to a production start for the ALPINA 7 Series at the end of 2026. For the first time, the car will be manufactured entirely by BMW. In the past, the car was brought to life in the BMW factories before being transferred to Buchloe for refinement and construction of the B7.
The naming is still unclear. BMW will use the B7 name, but it remains to be seen whether it will continue to be sold as the BMW ALPINA B7 or simply be renamed ALPINA B7 to represent a new sub-brand within the BMW portfolio.
Performance: 617 hp V8 expected
On the combustion side, the revived top-of-the-range ALPINA 7 Series is expected to produce 617 hp, which would put it above the previous B7 (591 hp) and ahead of the V12-era M760i in pure gasoline output. The most likely engine is BMW’s S68 biturbo V8 with a mild hybrid design.
An electric ALPINA 7 Series is part of the broader discussion, but we hear there won’t be an “ALPINA B7 Electric” this cycle. If ALPINA is indeed going electric in the 7 Series, you can expect it to go under the i7 naming structure rather than converting “B7” to an EV badge.
In a recent interview, Andreas Bovensiepen, the current ALPINA CEO, said that he understood that the focus in the future would be on BMW’s large luxury vehicles (7 Series, 8 Series, X7), but also pointed out that, as far as he knew, smaller ALPINA models in Europe were not expected to be canceled immediately. He also repeated BMW’s well-known saying that there is room “between” BMW and Rolls-Royce – which is consistent with the idea of pushing ALPINA further up the ranks once BMW is in charge.
Expect more ALPINA models in the future
If the ALPINA 7 Series program launches in 2027 as expected, it will likely become the template for what “BMW-led ALPINA” will look like: fewer models, higher prices and a closer alignment with BMW’s flagship platforms. We’ve also heard similar noises surrounding an ALPINA version of the next X7 that would follow this strategy.
Although we expect production to begin at the end of 2026, it is likely that BMW will start announcing the new ALPINA brand at the beginning of the year. Does this mean a show car before series production? Only time will tell, but there will be plenty of opportunities to test the market next year, including at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
