Why Alpina Fits Perfectly Into BMW’s Electric Future
By Edward A. Sanchez – March 15, 2022
This past week came news that BMW wholly acquired the tuning specialist Alpina. But this latest announcement was somewhat of a formality, as Alpina and BMW have had a cozy and complementary relationship going back decades, including full service and warranty support for Alpina vehicles at BMW dealerships. It seems like the deal was driven as much by pragmatism and practical considerations as anything else. BMW, a multi-national, multi-billion-euro company that sells millions of vehicles, simply has much deeper pockets and more technical and financial resources at its disposal than Alpina, which sold less than 2,000 vehicles globally in 2021. In the official release, BMW says that Alpina will still offer its bespoke customized ICE models in its current configurations through 2025. After that, it’s TBD.
Alpina’s origins, like many other tuning companies, was on the racetrack, where the company specialized in fine-tuning racing carburetors. In the late 1970s and early ‘80s, the company transitioned into more road-going luxury with increased emphasis on high performance “touring” cars with performance-enhanced engines and luxury interiors. Nearly since its beginning, the company has had the blessing and support of BMW corporate.
Whether people want to acknowledge it or not, I believe we’re seeing the beginning of the end for internal-combustion engines being mainstream, and I expect we will see their disappearance from mainstream passenger cars in my lifetime (40 to 50 years, give or take). For a company that has long staked its name and reputation on engine tuning, this presents a bit of a dilemma. Even electrical motors have their engineered maximum output and capacity, but from zero RPM to “redline,” the delivery of the power is often determined by software and power electronics, even more so than on an electronically-tuned, internal-combustion engine.
Now under new ownership, Alpina’s name might head in a different direction.
Alpina’s mission of personalization and bespoke individual customization is safe in the broader sense that there will always be customers who will want “one of one” or will want something rare, obscure, or unique. But Alpina’s core competency of engine tuning may have to pivot to focus more on software tuning and development, or even EV motor development.
Depending on how broad or narrow your definition of “performance tuning” is, this will either be a difficult or easy pivot. Certainly, in the context of EVs, engineering of pistons, crankshafts, camshafts, turbochargers, and other components doesn’t matter. With EVs, it’s more about software, copper windings, magnets, sleeves, phases, voltage, amperage, and so on.
ICE or EV, certain aspects of automotive tuning are universal and timeless.
Alpina’s slightly less hard-edged approach to performance than BMW’s M division seems like it would make it a natural for the transition to electrification. Keep the comfortable, but controlled suspension, bespoke interiors, and styling customization. Add to that electric motors that have been precision-tuned for effortless delivery of torque and satisfying throttle response, and voila, you have the perfect recipe for future luxury.
I don’t know if this is what Munich has in mind for its latest niche brand acquisition, but I see no reason why Alpina can’t continue to be a viable part of the BMW Group’s brand portfolio for another 50 years or more.
(Images courtesy Alpina/BMW)
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