Would Alpina have made a different choice if this policy had been in place back in 2022?

[nealpina]

I am wondering if the ban on combustion engines was lifted earlier and whether it was deemed unnecessary for EVs to completely take over. With the recent EU decision to drop the full ban and instead aim for a 90% CO₂ reduction by 2035, would ALPINA have made a different choice if this policy had been in place back in 2022?

Also, has anyone else seen the BMW advert on Amazon? I have seen it previously and I think it was on ITV, but I cannot confirm. It says something like “a new era for BMW”. Could this be hinting at their ALPINA line-up, rather than, or including, BMW’s push towards electrification and digital innovation?

Also, thoughts generally about the updated policy?

[Wellsy]

I had the same thought, A family owned and run business for 60 years made a decision based on Government Policy which then just changed because they realized it was a complete load of rubbish and they can't sell EV's any where near the numbers they wanted. So they can just change their minds which totally screws over people who have to made decisions.
I feel the ALPINA "Bovensiepen" family should be going to the government asking for compensation for loss of business and being mislead buy poor decision making. Clearly they wont get anywhere as said Government don't give a crap but would make a point.

I know of companies who have gone to the council to ask for charging stations for a new fleet of EV van's only to be laughed at and told there isn't enough power in the local grid to support.

Its all a joke, but a real joke, put in place by people with no clue of reality.

[Grumpyjohn1957]

Would the phase out of ICE made a difference to Alpina? Yes, Alpina’s feedstock is BMW products. BMW would have known a long time before any decision was announced by the EU as to which way the wind would blow. The US BMW business is maybe different and could have provided workable continuation, but…
The corporate decision to electrify / hybridise would have been taken way back as the development times for such vehicles is lengthy. Emissions targets were beginning to exert a stranglehold on power outputs with exhaust gas composition needing ever more complex abatement systems and politicians turning the screw. It was / is getting harder to build compliant ICE vehicles.
Messing with electric powertrains is complex, specialised, and fraught with safety issues. Cars become very heavy; their dynamics become very different, difficult to create a standout product when using technically tricky base material.
It’s easy to raid a parts bin, transplant compatible engines, gearboxes and suspension components from one range of cars to another. Ok, Alpina refine engines, tweak software and beef stuff up to suit but by and large, apart from “cosmetics” and trims there’s not so many unique components in an Alpina.
Mechanically on newer cars, even though the parts manual carries an Alpina reference from what I have seen they are mainly borrowed from something else in the BMW range.
It’s he massive amount of additional development work to get everything working in harmony that’s the secret sauce, it shows in the finished product, it’s what makes our cars excel.
The owners are not exactly “spring chickens”, would they still have the drive, energy and financial resources to remodel and adjust the business to electric? Would they want to relocate to the US?
The brand carries weight, it is totally tied into BMW, it sets cars apart and BMW decided it was worth having. Whether the family received a king’s ransom or nominal sum we’ll never know, I suspect the later.
Weaving Alpina into the BMW brand story will prove interesting; will it join the likes of Triumph or become another MINI? We’ll have to wait and see.

[Norrie]

"We shall have to see" Come 1 Jan 2026 can anyone actually buy a "new" ALPINA answer no, they cant buy a "new" older 2025 or before ALPINA. Save for if one has not yet been registered but built.

Therefore "ALPINA" only still really means something to those who have one or more, had one or more or whished they did.

Any BMW dealership will be able to sell the new ALPINA when its available, but how many will want to lash out on 150K models when they either have not been able to sell them since at least 1983, unless they were Sytner. The real question is how many X7 and 7 series BMWs did each dealership sell and will they convert those customers to the new ALPINA version and attract others. Sounds like small number demand, next time you take a journey make a note of how many 7 series BMW you spot or X7. I suspect most journeys you will see zero.

[hap]

BMW have trade marked XB8 which I think means they will produce a new suv variant with Alpina bits to try and persuade Bentley bentega owners

[Norrie]

XB8, it may be but which dealerships do you think you will find one apart from BMW Park Lane?

[JohnW]

Associated with this is the Alpina Lifestyle website from 1st Jan is only taking orders from owners of classic Alpina cars and they are going to ask for “proof”. The classic parts website is open to all still.

I think Alpina would have reconsidered the complete buyout by BMW but would have become more associated with them, perhaps shipping their production entirely to Munich.