After decades of being BMW’s favourite overachiever cousin, Alpina is now officially, properly, completely under BMW control. And to mark the occasion, it has done what every legacy brand does before stepping into a new chapter. It’s refreshed the badge.
Don’t panic. This isn’t one of those dramatic glow-up moments where you have to squint and ask, ‘Wait, what did they do?’ It’s more like a very expensive haircut. Subtle. Sharper. Slightly more confident.
The familiar circular layout stays. The iconic mechanical symbols are still there. Yes, the carburetor or throttle body on one side and the crankshaft on the other continue to sit proudly inside the crest. Which is mildly hilarious when you think about it, because a decade from now, some EV-raised kid is going to look at that badge and ask, ‘Is that a coffee machine?’
What’s changed is the execution. The old shield backdrop is gone. The detailing is cleaner. The colours are pared back. There’s a more transparent, modern treatment that mirrors what BMW did with its own logo recently. It’s less ornate, more contemporary. Think tailored suit instead of brocade jacket.
And the timing isn’t random. BMW actually signed the deal to acquire Alpina back in 2022, but allowed a transition phase that quietly wrapped up this January. Now Alpina sits fully inside the BMW empire, no longer the fiercely independent tuning house that worked so closely with Munich it practically had a permanent parking spot at the factory gates.
Going forward, production shifts entirely to select BMW plants capable of meeting Alpina’s famously obsessive standards. Which means the silk gloves remain. The discreet body kits stay. The multi-spoke alloys, teased recently in reimagined form, aren’t going anywhere.
But here’s the interesting bit. BMW has made it clear that future Alpinas won’t step on the toes of the M division. No smoky, tyre-shredding, track-weapon drama. Instead, Alpina will lean into what it does best, devastating pace delivered with chauffeur-grade composure. Long-distance performance. Supreme comfort. The kind of car that demolishes an autobahn stretch and then asks if you’d like a massage.
In simple terms, expect Alpina to live somewhere between a fully loaded BMW and something from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in spirit. And in price. Ultra-powerful flagship SUVs and sedans are already being whispered about, including electric ones. Which makes those carburetor symbols on the badge feel even more charmingly nostalgic.
What this really means is that Alpina is growing up without losing its accent. It’s still the brand for people who want speed, but don’t feel the need to announce it at traffic lights. Still the choice for enthusiasts who prefer torque served with walnut trim and merino leather. Only now, it has BMW’s full weight behind it. Same philosophy. New chapter. Slightly sharper logo. And honestly? That feels exactly right.
