Tag Archives: Alpina

NEW CARS

Bovensiepen Spider Is a 429bhp BMW Z4 Collector’s Special with Alpina DNA

Bovensiepen, the new automotive marque founded by the creators of Alpina, has revealed the Spider, a limited-production roadster based on the BMW Z4 M40i. With 429bhp, a 183mph top speed and production capped at just 99 examples, the Spider is designed to preserve the appeal of the lightweight, two-seat sports car in an increasingly SUV-dominated market.

The BMW Z4 may have reached the end of its production run, but its story is far from over. Bovensiepen, the marque established by the former Alpina founders, has transformed the latest Z4 into a bespoke performance roadster that combines more power, sharper dynamics and the kind of handcrafted luxury that made Alpina famous.

Called the Bovensiepen Spider, the new model is the company’s third production car, following the £320,000 Zagato coupé and the £144,000 05 GT estate. It is also the brand’s first convertible, although its connection to the Z4 goes back much further than its recent launch.

The Spider is, in many ways, a modern successor to the Alpina Roadster S, the Z4-based roadster created by the same team around two decades ago. This time, however, Bovensiepen has taken the latest-generation Z4 M40i and developed it into a considerably more powerful and exclusive machine.

Only 99 examples will be built, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2027. Despite its limited production and bespoke engineering, the Spider is positioned below Bovensiepen’s other models, with a German price equivalent to approximately £99,000—roughly the same territory as a new BMW M4 Convertible.

A 429bhp Straight-Six Roadster

At the heart of the Bovensiepen Spider is BMW’s familiar 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine. In standard Z4 M40i specification, the unit already delivers strong performance, but Bovensiepen has substantially increased its output to 429bhp and 428lb ft of torque.

That is enough to propel the Spider from 0 to 62mph in 4.2 seconds, while the top speed rises to 183mph. According to Bovensiepen, those figures make the Spider quicker than any previous version of the BMW Z4.

The engine has not simply been given a software upgrade. Bovensiepen has reworked the intake system to help it breathe more freely, while a redesigned exhaust system has been optimised for improved gas flow and a more exhilarating, sporty soundtrack.

Cooling has also been upgraded to ensure the engine can maintain peak performance under demanding conditions. Buyers seeking even greater capability can specify an optional Performance Pack, which adds enhanced differential heat management to improve performance during sustained high-load driving.

Sharper Handling, More Grip

The Spider’s performance upgrades extend beyond its engine. Bovensiepen has retuned the dampers to improve responsiveness and give the roadster a more focused driving character.

The suspension is supported by Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, fitted to lightweight forged wheels. These high-performance tyres are intended to provide the grip necessary to exploit the Spider’s additional power, while optional high-performance brakes offer buyers the opportunity to further enhance its stopping ability.

Unlike the Z4’s recently available six-speed manual option, the Bovensiepen Spider uses the standard ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. That decision prioritises rapid, consistent performance and reflects the marque’s focus on delivering a refined but engaging driving experience.

A More Exclusive Take on the Z4 Interior

Bovensiepen has retained the basic architecture of the BMW Z4’s cabin, but the interior has been extensively retrimmed using premium materials.

The seats are available in Vernasca leather, while the steering wheel is finished in Lavalina leather. Alcantara is used around the windscreen surround, adding a more sporting feel to the cabin.

As with the company’s other models, personalisation is a major part of the Spider’s appeal. The Bovensiepen Saddlery customisation programme is designed to offer a level of individual specification comparable with Bentley’s Mulliner or Aston Martin’s Q division.

Customers can work with the company to create a highly personalised car, with options including Alcantara boot lining, bespoke headrests and custom embroidery. These details are intended to make each Spider feel less like a conventional production sports car and more like a collector’s commission.

Bovensiepen’s Answer to the Disappearing Roadster

Bovensiepen says the Spider was created in response to a broader change in the automotive industry. Modern cars are becoming larger, heavier and increasingly influenced by SUV design, while traditional lightweight two-seat roadsters are becoming harder to find.

The company describes the Spider as a deliberate effort to preserve a vehicle class that has long represented one of the most direct forms of driving pleasure.

Its philosophy is summed up by the phrase “fine driving”—a concept that places emphasis not only on outright performance, but also on balance, craftsmanship and the experience behind the wheel.

The result is a car that occupies an interesting position in the market. It is based on a BMW Z4, but its limited production, increased power, bespoke materials and extensive customisation move it well beyond the standard model.

Price, Production and Availability

The Bovensiepen Spider will be limited to 99 units worldwide, with deliveries expected to start in early 2027. Its German price is approximately £99,000, making it significantly more accessible than the marque’s Zagato coupé and 05 GT estate.

For buyers looking for a rare, handcrafted performance convertible, the Spider offers a compelling combination of BMW straight-six power, Alpina-inspired engineering and exclusive ownership appeal.

Bovensiepen Spider: Key Specifications

  • Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six
  • Power: 429bhp
  • Torque: 428lb ft
  • 0–62mph: 4.2 seconds
  • Top speed: 183mph
  • Transmission: ZF eight-speed automatic
  • Base model: BMW Z4 M40i
  • Tyres: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
  • Production: 99 examples
  • Deliveries: Early 2027
  • German price: Approximately £99,000 equivalent

Source: Bovensiepen

CONCEPT CARS

BMW Alpina Vision Concept Signals a New Era of Ultra-Luxury GTs

At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where concept cars tend to oscillate between rolling sculpture and thinly veiled production previews, BMW quietly showed something more strategic than sensational: the Vision BMW Alpina, a V8-powered grand tourer that feels less like a one-off and more like a declaration of intent.

Long, low, and deliberately restrained, the concept stretches to roughly 5.2 meters—about the footprint of a long-wheelbase luxury sedan—but its proportions are doing more than filling space. They signal where BMW Group is positioning its newly fully integrated Alpina sub-brand in the post-transition era: not as an aftermarket specialist, but as a formalized pillar of ultra-luxury grand touring.

And yes, there’s a V8 under the skin. BMW hasn’t released official output figures, but the expectation is familiar territory: an evolution of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 seen in models like the M5, tuned the way Alpina traditionally does—less about peak theatrics, more about effortless, sustained thrust. The unofficial benchmark? Well north of 600 horsepower, delivered with the kind of calm reserve that defines Alpina’s best work.

This is also where BMW is drawing a clearer ideological line than it has in years. The M division remains the hard-edged performance arm—track-leaning, aggressive, and unapologetically sharp. Alpina, by contrast, is being framed as the long-distance specialist: comfort at speed, not just speed itself. According to BMW design leadership, the two identities are not intended to overlap. That separation is not just philosophical; it is baked into the hardware.

Take the suspension. The concept’s Comfort+ mode reportedly goes beyond anything offered in the standard BMW lineup, softening responses to a level that prioritizes isolation without dissolving control. It’s a deliberate statement: this is not a car meant to attack apexes, but to erase the distance between them.

Visually, the Vision BMW Alpina leans into understatement in a way that feels almost countercultural in today’s performance design language. There are echoes of the classic BMW 507 in its surfacing and restraint, while the front end adopts a “shark nose” interpretation with closed kidney grilles rather than overt aggression. The wheels—multi-spoke and intricate—read more as jewelry than engineering flex, a reminder that this car is aimed at a different kind of status signaling.

Inside, the theme shifts from luxury to what might best be described as quiet luxury with a technical edge. Large panoramic displays dominate the dashboard, but they’re paired with Alpina-specific interface graphics and crystal-finished physical controls. Materials are sourced with a regional nod to the Alpine identity, emphasizing leather craftsmanship over visual drama.

The most telling detail, though, is almost theatrical in its subtlety: a set of crystal glasses integrated into the rear center console, sliding out like a mechanism from a high-end watch. It’s not just a design flourish—it’s a clear indicator of who this car is for, and how it expects to be used. This is not a driver-first machine in the traditional sense. It is a high-speed lounge.

Looking ahead, the production model most directly foreshadowed by this concept—the next-generation Alpina B7 based on the redesigned 7 Series—is expected to enter production around July 2027. It will be the first Alpina model fully developed and manufactured under the full oversight of BMW Group, marking a new chapter for a brand that has long balanced independence with close BMW cooperation.

If BMW M is about intensity, the Vision BMW Alpina suggests something more restrained but arguably rarer in today’s performance landscape: confidence at speed without the need to prove anything at all.

Source: BMW

NEW CARS

Alpina XB7 Bows Out After 60 Years of Bovensiepen Rule

For six decades, the name Alpina has meant something quietly subversive. Not loud like an M badge. Not ostentatious like an AMG. But faster, rarer, and wrapped in the kind of restraint that makes connoisseurs nod knowingly. And now, that chapter closes.

The final car to emerge from Alpina as it has existed under the Bovensiepen family since 1965 will be a limited-run special edition of the XB7—an “exclusive, limited-production” sendoff destined only for the United States and Canada. It’s a fitting farewell. If ever there were a market that understood Alpina’s velvet-glove, iron-fist ethos, it’s North America.

Although BMW officially took ownership of Alpina on January 1, this swan song XB7 was developed under the watch of the founding Bovensiepen family. In fact, the production agreement for the car was reportedly inked before the brand transitioned into BMW’s hands. Think of it as the last bottle from a family vineyard just sold to a global conglomerate.

A Landmark Moment for Buchloe

This unveiling marks the end of Alpina’s 60-year run as an independent manufacturer—yes, manufacturer. Since its founding by Burkard Bovensiepen in 1965, Alpina wasn’t merely a tuner. It held official manufacturer status, complete with factory warranties and its own VIN numbers. That distinction mattered.

The company’s final fully standalone model was the Alpina B8 GT, revealed in January 2025. Based on the 8 Series, it was a traditional Alpina sendoff: understated, devastatingly quick, and upholstered in more Lavalina leather than a Milan atelier.

Historically, Alpina built its reputation on discreetly devastating performance saloons and coupés. Cars like the 3 Series-based Alpina B3 and diesel-powered D3 weren’t about Nürburgring lap times. They were about cross-continental velocity—the ability to cruise at autobahn speeds all day, in silence, with the heated seats gently kneading your spine.

The XB7 special edition, then, feels like a modern interpretation of that same idea. It’s a three-row luxury SUV with the heart of a muscle car and the manners of a diplomat.

Why Sell?

The Bovensiepen family agreed to sell Alpina to BMW in 2022, citing a simple but telling reason: no compromise. In an era barreling toward electrification, maintaining Alpina’s distinct character would have required massive investment—particularly in software engineering to meaningfully differentiate electric Alpinas from their BMW counterparts.

As Andreas Bovensiepen explained, doing so at the scale Alpina operated would have been financially ruinous. To remain truly independent in the EV age would have meant either diluting the brand or risking insolvency. For a company built on doing things properly—or not at all—that wasn’t an option.

BMW, for its part, framed the acquisition as an opportunity to inject “even greater diversity” into its luxury lineup. Translation: Alpina would move further upmarket, becoming a bespoke, high-performance foil to Mercedes-Maybach.

To guide that transformation, BMW appointed former Polestar design chief Max Missoni to oversee Alpina’s styling future. The promise? An extraordinary range of bespoke options and a more distinct design language—though whether it retains that uniquely Alpina subtlety remains to be seen.

A New Chapter Begins—Elsewhere

Meanwhile, the Bovensiepens haven’t retired to sip Riesling. They’ve launched a new eponymous car company and already revealed their first creation: a reimagined BMW M4 clothed in bespoke coachwork by Zagato. It’s an unmistakable statement: the family may have sold Alpina, but not their appetite for finely tuned excess.

The End of an Era

As for the XB7 special edition, details remain under wraps until its official reveal. But the symbolism is clear. For 60 years, Alpina operated in the margins—between luxury and performance, between factory and tuner, between anonymity and cult status.

This final Bovensiepen-era XB7 isn’t just another limited-production SUV. It’s a closing chord. A reminder that before branding strategies and EV platforms, there was a small workshop in Buchloe building faster BMWs for people who preferred their speed served with restraint.

After Friday, Alpina begins again. But it will never quite be this Alpina.

Source: Alpina