“Alpina has always represented a very specific idea of performance and refinement, where speed and comfort are complementary ambitions. Our role as the new custodians of this brand is to preserve this distinctiveness and shape it in a contemporary context.” Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of Design at the BMW Group, presented the Vision BMW Alpina at Villa d’Este on the evening of 15 May at Villa d’Este, a traditional event for the German group.
“For a designer like me, it’s always great to be in Italy, on Lake Como, and admire amazing cars. They are always a source of inspiration, regardless of the era they belong to. Unique vehicles, sometimes truly unrepeatable. For 10-15 years we have been trying to enrich this panorama, to continue the tradition of the Competition by presenting some unique new cars that perhaps in 50 years will be invited to participate again. Recently, as you know, we were able to make some of these unique concept cars, like the BMW Skytop and the Speedtop, which we were able to produce in limited numbers, which was quite special for me as a designer as well, because BMW produces thousands of cars a day. So convincing the company to produce 50 units was a real challenge, but we did it.”
The Vision Alpina concept indicates the stylistic direction of the brand that the BMW Group has recently acquired to include it in its portfolio between its BMW and Rolls Royce brands. Like all Vision concept cars, it will not become a production model as it is, but communicates how the typical Alpina character will evolve into a contemporary, elegant and sophisticated look. Isn’t there a risk of overlapping with BMW and BMW M?
“Alpinas have always been bought by people who like to drive. So there is already a strong overlap with BMW customers in general. The Alpinas were always going faster than a normal BMW, we are talking about 300 kilometers per hour, but from the outside it was not noticeable. So Alpinas attract people who want a fast car, want a sporty driving experience, but don’t go to the track and don’t want to tell the rest of the world that they’ve bought a fast car. The M product is very different, it attracts those who love to go to the racetrack, it is for a customer who loves to show everyone that he has a very fast car. And recently M products have become more and more expressive, with louder colors, more air intakes, spoilers and various elements. Alpina doesn’t do this, it’s another way of understanding driving pleasure. When you acquire a brand with a 60-year history, the first thing you want is that the traditional customers come with you. So we’ve done a lot of talking and meeting with traditional Alpina customers”.
The shapes of the Vision BMW Alpina are dynamic and elegant. How did you manage to make a 5.2-metre-long car look so compact?
“The secret lies above all in the play of light and shadow on the sides. With a few lines we sculpted the volumes, while the design of the front and rear visually reduces the perception of length. The large 22 and 23-inch wheels also help to make the car appear more compact. In practice, on paper it is long, yet in person it does not seem so. But don’t tell the other designers…», van Hooydonk jokes.
The design story of the Vision BMW Alpina will be published in Auto&Design n° 279, July/August 2026.
