Alpina’s Bold Vision Concept Rides on a Retired BMW Platform

Last week, Alpina arrived at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este with an all-new concept car designed to preview where the company is headed next. Called the Vision BMW Alpina, the sleek showpiece quickly sparked converstions among enthusiasts eager to uncover more details about the mysterious project.

One of the biggest talking points surrounding the concept has been its donor vehicle. Now, the answer is finally clear — and it comes from BMW’s discontinued lineup. Speaking with journalists during the event on the shores of Lake Como, BMW Group design chief Adrian van Hooydonk confirmed that the concept is built on the foundation of the BMW 8 Series, according to BMWBlog.

At first glance, many assumed the concept borrowed its underpinnings from the two-door coupe version of the 8 Series. That would have made sense considering the Vision BMW Alpina is also a coupe, though one stretched to an enormous 204.7 inches long, or 5,199 mm. That size places it squarely between the 5 Series and 7 Series in BMW’s portfolio, creating a luxury grand tourer with serious road presence. Surprisingly, however, the concept actually uses the BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe as its base — the four-door fastback once positioned against rivals like the discontinued Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Known internally as the G16, the Gran Coupe measured 199.7 inches long, 76.1 inches wide, and 55 inches tall, while riding on a 119-inch wheelbase. Those dimensions made it an ideal starting point for a spacious cabin offering generous rear legroom. Passengers in the back are separated by a large center console extending all the way from the dashboard to the rear seats, reinforcing the car’s premium feel.

So why did Alpina choose a discontinued model for such an important project? Van Hooydonk explained the decision during the event.

“We deliberately chose to use something that no longer exists because we wanted to show this marks a completely new chapter for Alpina, not simply a lightly modified BMW,” the executive explained. “We want the brand to follow its own path within the BMW Group. There’s no better way to prove that than by creating a standalone vehicle.”

And standalone it certainly appears to be. Beyond being significantly longer than the standard BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe, the concept also adopts a distinct exterior identity that separates it from BMW’s current Neue Klasse design language. The interior, however, feels far more familiar. In fact, it strongly resembles the latest 7 Series cabin and shares several styling cues with other modern BMWs — something critics may argue leaves it lacking a true sense of charcter.

Alpina’s first fully developed production model under BMW Group ownership is expected to arrive in 2027, and many fans are hoping it delivers a more unique personality. Until then, the debate continues: was building a futuristic concept around a discontinued BMW the right move?