[LakeSurfer]

I'm floored at how many think that Alpina will continue to be its own brand as if BMW just purchased them for fun. forget about what you think Alpina is, was and will ever be, just like the M brand, it doesn't matter. Alpina is a name that BMW purchased. They bought the rights to the name and that's all. They didn't buy great ideas for cars in the past present or future, they bought a name. And what will BMW do with that name? Ask Carroll Shelby, or AMG or the M division. You dont want to hear it and neither do I but consider Alpina a trim level from now on and not a bespoke builder. They might do some cool stuff with it from time to time just like M but the thrill is gone and mass production sales are the future for BMW.

How many people are gonna buy the 2024 M228i Alpina edition? They're already sold out, because we only care a little.

[MParallel]

Too bad.

[Germanauto]

Mixed feelings. Would certainly be cool to see more Alpina models in the US since they are incredibly rare and expensive. However, knowing BMW's priorities over the past 10 years, they will likely whore out the Alpina name just as they did to the M division.

[Germanauto]

Originally Posted by e90335e36m3

Never liked a single alpina product. Non-news to me.

I can appreciate Alpina, especially their classic wheels and pin striping, but I've never had a desire to own one. I'd rather just go full M division.

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by LakeSurfer

I'm floored at how many think that Alpina will continue to be its own brand as if BMW just purchased them for fun. forget about what you think Alpina is, was and will ever be, just like the M brand, it doesn't matter. Alpina is a name that BMW purchased. They bought the rights to the name and that's all. They didn't buy great ideas for cars in the past present or future, they bought a name. And what will BMW do with that name? Ask Carroll Shelby, or AMG or the M division. You dont want to hear it and neither do I but consider Alpina a trim level from now on and not a bespoke builder. They might do some cool stuff with it from time to time just like M but the thrill is gone and mass production sales are the future for BMW.

How many people are gonna buy the 2024 M228i Alpina edition? They're already sold out, because we only care a little.

On the flip side, you know what brand you just described? Rolls Royce. They just bought the name, they didn't buy anything else - just the name and the Spirit of Ecstasy. There's no reason to believe BMW couldn't treat ALPINA the same. Obviously no one knows until 2025, but the dilution everyone is afraid will happen only works if ALPINA is a known name - it's not. So there is no real reason to make ALPINA into a trim like "M-Sport" or treat it like BMW M when most people don't even know what ALPINA is.

Like I said earlier, if BMW wanted to go this route and start watering things down, they could have EASILY just turned "BMW Individual" into a trim, they wouldn't even need to buy ALPINA and their production of less than 2,000 vehicles per year.

[GoneIn4Secs]

The title of this thread should be:

"How to make ugly cars even uglier!"

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls

On the flip side, you know what brand you just described? Rolls Royce. They just bought the name, they didn't buy anything else - just the name and the Spirit of Ecstasy. There's no reason to believe BMW couldn't treat ALPINA the same. Obviously no one knows until 2025, but the dilution everyone is afraid will happen only works if ALPINA is a known name - it's not. So there is no real reason to make ALPINA into a trim like "M-Sport" or treat it like BMW M when most people don't even know what ALPINA is.

Like I said earlier, if BMW wanted to go this route and start watering things down, they could have EASILY just turned "BMW Individual" into a trim, they wouldn't even need to buy ALPINA and their production of less than 2,000 vehicles per year.

Great point. I've known what BMW is and what they're about since I can remember. Maybe age 8 or so.

30 years later, I didn't know what ALPINA was until I started looking at buying my first BMW.

BMW definitely doesn't need it for the branding.

[jp1984]

Neat news, bring back the M3L.

[Resjudicata]

Originally Posted by playswcars

This is either great news, or terrible news. I hope they don't degrade "Alpina" to a trim level, à la "M Performance".

Unfortunately I think you're right.

[LakeSurfer]

Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls

On the flip side, you know what brand you just described? Rolls Royce. They just bought the name, they didn't buy anything else - just the name and the Spirit of Ecstasy. There's no reason to believe BMW couldn't treat ALPINA the same. Obviously no one knows until 2025, but the dilution everyone is afraid will happen only works if ALPINA is a known name - it's not. So there is no real reason to make ALPINA into a trim like "M-Sport" or treat it like BMW M when most people don't even know what ALPINA is.

Like I said earlier, if BMW wanted to go this route and start watering things down, they could have EASILY just turned "BMW Individual" into a trim, they wouldn't even need to buy ALPINA and their production of less than 2,000 vehicles per year.

I agree that we don't know but I say will certainty, it will be a trim level because that's all the average BMW owner will see or care about. Rolls Royce was a car when the spirit was purchased so they bought it and built a "rolls Royce". Weather or not it, today is a "true" rolls is debatable. But either way it was a stand alone vehicle before and today it still is.

Alpina, however, is not a stand alone car or a stand alone anything to most it's a package and to all the soccer mom, executives, and one uppers who drive BMWs having a higher more expensive, exclusive trim makes for an easy buck. They would be stupid and it makes zero sense to make individual a trim level because individual doesn't have a name built for itself like Alpina or M and it's already a part of the company. Now buyers will be able to buy just about any base model with a few upgrades to make it an M and then a few more to make it an Alpina and then drop a few thousand more for the paint shop to throw a little pearl in the paint or put better speakers in it or whatever. Alpina babe stands for far more than what individual does. If individual was its own trim level then they lose out on people feeling like they have something truly special.

A Fortune 500 company does not acquire a business with the intentions of keeping that business the same. They buy it to expand on it, they buy it as an investment potential, they buy it to really exploit what that company does. And they paid far more for Alpina than what Alpina makes in profits. If Alpina makes $10 million per year then BMW probably paid $50 million for it. It would take 5 years or far more for any ROI and I'm sure it would take more than that, all things considered. I'm sure my numbers are wrong but that's about how it works.

If you're a real estate investor you will expand you're income by buying properties and putting money into them and flipping them to maximize profits. What you're suggesting is that that same investor buys properties and doesn't touch them but instantly flips them, doesn't put on a new roof or fix the floors, just a strait you flip. Both ways you make money but what way makes more? What does BMW care about? Making a unique product for a couple thousand people per year or making a "unique" product and sell to a couple million people per year? BMW does not care about a couple thousand car sales they care about car sales in the millions.

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by LakeSurfer

What does BMW care about? Making a unique product for a couple thousand people per year or making a "unique" product and sell to a couple million people per year? BMW does not care about a couple thousand car sales they care about car sales in the millions.

What you're describing is what BMW Individual already does and can be...because BMW already made "BMW Individual Edition" vehicles in the past and has labeled them as such. The difference is, I'm sure people are more familiar with the name "BMW Individual" than "ALPINA".

I fully understand what you're saying, BMW can buy up names and make them their own trim and sell but why do that when you already have something already in-house that can achieve the same purpose?

The other thing we can argue about is what you think an ALPINA really is. Is it the different VIN? The ALPINA name plate or the ALPINA customization and tuning? Right now, ALPINA is it's own manufacturer ROW, but in Canada, you can see it as another trim (BMW 750i, BMW 750i LWB, BMW 7er PHEV, BMW ALPINA B7) so if BMW continues to do this in the future but it will it have a BMW VIN and no ALPINA name plate but keeps everything else - interior and chassis tuning, are we going to say it's not an ALPINA?

I understand why people are pessimistic with what BMW has done recently, but I honestly think they let ALPINA do its thing like they do Rolls Royce. You want the support, you want resources, you want the hardware, here it is. Continue doing ALPINA things. It just won't be in the Buchloe.

[nathanm4]

US market could get B3, B4, and B5!!!!!!

[antzcrashing]

Good move for both parties

[themnmd]

Originally Posted by playswcars

This is either great news, or terrible news. I hope they don't degrade "Alpina" to a trim level, à la "M Performance".

I am afraid you may be right

[414M3]

I think most people are off base here. BMW already has a sport brand in M and M Sport. However BMW is looking at the success of the MB Maybach vehicles and will probably use Alpina in a similar fashion to build a differentiated lineup of luxury vehicles that they can jack up their margins with.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by LakeSurfer

I'm floored at how many think that Alpina will continue to be its own brand as if BMW just purchased them for fun. forget about what you think Alpina is, was and will ever be, just like the M brand, it doesn't matter. Alpina is a name that BMW purchased. They bought the rights to the name and that's all. They didn't buy great ideas for cars in the past present or future, they bought a name. And what will BMW do with that name? Ask Carroll Shelby, or AMG or the M division. You dont want to hear it and neither do I but consider Alpina a trim level from now on and not a bespoke builder. They might do some cool stuff with it from time to time just like M but the thrill is gone and mass production sales are the future for BMW.
How many people are gonna buy the 2024 M228i Alpina edition? They're already sold out, because we only care a little.

Other example: Porsche never acquired RUF (Ruf Automobile GmbH).

I don't know whether Porsche or RUF was not interested. Porsche has its perfectly oiled GT war machine division.

[F32Fleet]

Am I the only one who thinks this is strange? With electric drivetrains providing the instant torque which Alpina is known for why is there a need for this brand at all? Whee does it fit in BMW, BMW M, Rolls Royce family?

Is Alpina going to become the Buick of BMW? Basically a nameplate.

[city1991]

Originally Posted by Jason

Attachment 2831575
Munich. The BMW Group welcomes a new addition to its portfolio, as the ALPINA brand becomes part of the company. The BMW Group will secure the rights to the ALPINA brand – bringing even greater diversity to its own luxury-car range. BMW AG and ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG have reached an agreement to this effect that will secure the long-term future of the ALPINA brand as well as the Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH und Co. KG.

The conclusion of the transaction is still subject to various suspensive conditions – in particular, approval by the responsible antitrust authorities. The long-standing cooperation agreement, which was extended for another five years in late 2020, will expire on 31 Dec. 2025. Both parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details. No shares in the company will be acquired.

Over half a century, BMW and the small-series manufacturer from Buchloe, outside of Munich, have forged a close cooperation built on the highest level of trust. Now, the transformation of the automotive industry enters a new chapter.

“The automotive industry is in the midst of a far-reaching transformation towards sustainable mobility. For that reason, existing business models need to be re-examined on a regular basis. For over fifty years, the Buchloe firm has demon*strated how to deliver top-quality car cachet through meticulous attention to detail. The BMW Group is also driven by this same passion for cars that capture the imagination. That is why we are now embarking on a new chapter in our long-standing partnership. Acquiring the trademark rights will allow us to shape the long-term course of this brand steeped in tradition. We are delighted to welcome the ALPINA brand to the BMW family,” said Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales.

The transformation towards electromobility and increasing regulation worldwide – particularly emissions legislation, software validation and requirements for driver assistance and monitoring systems – result in significantly higher risks for small-series manufacturers. The management of ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG is addressing this with a strategic realignment that will secure the long-term viability of the Buchloe operations.

Andreas Bovensiepen, co-managing director of ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG, explains: “We recognised the challenges facing the automotive industry early on and are now setting the right course for ALPINA and for our family firm, BOVENSIEPEN. This marks the beginning of a new chapter. Both the ALPINA brand and our company are extremely desirable. We made a conscious decision not to sell ALPINA to just any manufacturer, because BMW and ALPINA have worked together and trusted one another for decades. That is why it is the right decision strategically for the ALPINA brand to be managed by the BMW Group in the future.”

The cooperation will continue – but in a different form: The company owned by the Bovensiepen family will continue to use its engineering expertise in developing, manufacturing, and selling BMW ALPINA vehicles within the existing cooperation until the end of 2025. This results in base BMW cars receiving extensive modifi*cation by the ALPINA team - including the engine and transmission, as well as the chassis, aerodynamics, and interior equipment. BMW ALPINA vehicles are pre-assembled on BMW production lines before final assembly of the vehicles taking place in workshops in Buchloe, also comprising individual interiors built to customer specifications.

The service, parts and accessories business for the existing and legacy BMW ALPINA vehicle portfolio will continue at the Buchloe location in the long term. There will be no changes to the existing aftersales cooperation. As part of a strategic cooperation between the two companies, there will be a further expansion of the existing development services business for BMW out of Buchloe. The wine business that also forms part of the family firm will be unaffected.

“BMW and ALPINA are a perfect fit! The ALPINA brand has matured alongside BMW over the past 50 years and has everything it takes to make the heart of an automotive connoisseur beat faster all over the world. It finds the right balance between cultivated sportiness, luxury, and exclusivity. We are delighted to acquire the trademark rights to ALPINA and add new vehicle capturing DNA to the BMW portfolio,” said Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer and Brand BMW.

2021 was the most successful year in the history of ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG. Building on this strong foundation, the family business will strategically realign going forwards in order to address regulatory challenges and technological change in the industry. This will secure the location of Buchloe for the long term.

“We will continue our father’s life’s work and invest in the equally well-known name of BOVENSIEPEN. With our expertise and high standards of quality, we will bring other convincing mobile offerings to the market in the future,” explains co-managing director Florian Bovensiepen: “Without our creative, highly capable, and loyal employees, ALPINA’s success story would not have been possible. We are relying on the strength of our company, our team, and our families to pivot at the right time. At the same time, we acknowledge, with the BMW Group, our social responsibility towards our workforce and will do our best to cushion the potential impact resulting from this reorganisation.”

The sale of trademark rights to BMW and the resulting discontinuation of the current ALPINA vehicle programme at the end of 2025 will have implications for existing jobs at the Buchloe site. BMW will support ALPINA with the necessary adjustments to the workforce at the Buchloe location over the coming years. Up until the end of 2025, BMW will work with ALPINA to offer those employees who will not be able to continue working at the Buchloe site a new position with the BMW Group and also help them find new jobs with suppliers and development partners.

ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG, a German vehicle manufacturer based in Buchloe, was officially founded on 1 January 1965. ALPINA was active in BMW tuning and motorsports from the 1960s onwards and began manufacturing passenger cars based on BMW AG products in 1978. Since 1983, the company based in Buchloe in the Ostallgäu district of Bavaria has been registered as an official automotive manufacturer with the German Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg and employs around 300 people. Around 2,000 vehicles were produced in Buchloe in 2021. In addition to Germany and Europe, Japan, the US, and the Middle East are also important markets for ALPINA. The family company’s second main area of activity is the ALPINA wine business.

Hopefully BMW doesn't screw it up.

[Darth One]

I read the short part about surviving electrification and came to the same conclusion as some of you - Alpina would not have survived as an independent OEM without being acquired. So it's either acquisition, or no more Alpina. It's possible that Alpina management even approached BMW and asked them to at least continue their brand and some of their legacy.

At best, they become the Touring version of M. that's not too bad. As an acquisition model, I can only hope for them to be like Mercedes-AMG. Not independent but given the license to stay on-brand and try out crazy things like Black Series and 6x6. That didn't turn out too badly either.

[MG20i]

I can see any of these outcomes from this. Hopefully it is MORE because of incoming electrification of drivetrains and the lack of tuning need.

Here is hoping they still make Alpina a unique performance LUXURY trim/division/separate brand...just with a focus on suspension tuning and interior trim. Not so much drivetrain tuning.

B5 Touring for me please. I'd have that rather than an M5.

[cbertels]

Originally Posted by chief

How about Alpina be to the i electric series what M should be to ICE.

I think this makes a lot of sense until the ICE is phased out at some point. Maybe Alpina won't be around long enough for that to matter. Will be interesting to watch for sure.

[Vivalamatt]

Call me crazy, but I'm not a fan of the Alpina Models. Never liked the logo or their unique choice of rims. I'd prefer a fully optioned BMW model over a Alpina spec any day.