• BMW Alpina released a sneak peek of the new luxury subbrand’s first production car, based on the refreshed 7-series sedan, during high-speed testing.
  • The ultra-comfortable car wears Alpina’s iconic 20-spoke wheels and will be powered by a V-8 engine.
  • The new Alpina B7 is expected to launch sometime next year.

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.

A camouflaged car parked on an empty asphalt track under a clear blue sky.

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.

Earlier this year, reports indicated 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.

A camouflaged prototype car driving on a test track under a clear blue sky.

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.

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.

A camouflaged car on a test track under blue skies with distant trees and tire barriers in the background.

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, though the seats appear slightly different from the stock option, and the cabin will likely be dressed in upgraded materials.

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