Article Summary
- The 2027 ALPINA B7 (G72) and XB7 skip the ALPINA Concept’s styling since both cars were locked in before it debuted
- It’s unclear if the B7 gets a stretched wheelbase, though the standard 7 Series already spans a segment-leading 3,215mm between the axles
- BMW is positioning ALPINA as a “Luxury Layer” above the 7 Series and below Rolls-Royce, with a Maybach GLS rival (G69) following in 2028
BMW showed the new ALPINA brand this with a concept car first, and now the wait begins for what actually reaches production. The first two answers are the B7, based on the facelifted 7 Series, and the XB7, based on the next-generation X7 (G67). According to sources, neither car will borrow much from the concept’s styling, because both were locked in well before that show car existed.
Development timelines don’t bend for concept reveals. Both the B7 and XB7 were designed and engineered before the ALPINA Concept broke cover, so don’t expect the concept’s specific design language to show up on the production cars. What will carry over is likely the badge and script logo, a bespoke wheel design, the brand’s usual leather, trim, and interior finishing, and a chassis tune aimed at ride refinement rather than outright track sharpness. That formula has separated ALPINA from BMW M for decades, and there’s no indication BMW plans to abandon it now that ALPINA is a wholly owned in-house operation rather than an independent tuner. Of course, some body refinements are expected as well with front and rear-end being a bit more refined towards the luxury aspect of design.
One open question is wheelbase. Mercedes stretches the Maybach S-Class beyond the standard S-Class for extra rear legroom, but we wouldn’t assume BMW copies that playbook here. The G70 7 Series already has a 3,215 mm (126.5-inch) wheelbase, which is plenty of room to work with before anyone needs to cut a new floor pan.
Meet The G72 ALPINA
Sources describe the ALPINA 7 Series internally as the G72, which would make three variants of the current generation: the standard G70, the armored G73, and now the ALPINA-tuned G72. Power is expected to come from both six- and eight-cylinder engines. A fully electric version based on the i7 might not be initially planned.
The inline-six model likely draws from the 740, which starts at $101,350 in rear-wheel-drive form in the U.S. lineup. An ALPINA-badged version would make more sense with xDrive standard, and the regular 740 with all-wheel drive already starts at $104,350, giving a rough floor for where the B7’s six-cylinder pricing lands before ALPINA’s premium gets added on top.
The V8 story is more interesting. BMW dropped the 760 and its V8 from the current 7 Series lineup entirely, but the company has already confirmed an eight-cylinder M-branded flagship arriving in 2027, and this time it’s coming to Europe too. We’d bet on M760 as the name, though BMW hasn’t confirmed that specifically. So it would make sense for the B7 to use the same S68 engine.
The XB7 Follows, Then A Maybach GLS Rival After That
The X7 gets the same treatment on a slightly longer timeline. The next-generation G67 X7 is expected to spawn the XB7 alongside the B7. Initially, ALPINA will lean on combustion power which makes a lot more sense for the brand. The G69 XB7 will follow the same recipe as the B7 when it comes to design touches, materials and driving refinements.
Where Is ALPINA Heading
BMW has described ALPINA’s new position as a “Luxury Layer,” slotted above the standard 7 Series and below Rolls-Royce. That’s a direct shot at Mercedes-Maybach, and it’s the clearest explanation yet for why BMW brought ALPINA in-house instead of letting Buchloe keep building small-batch cars on the side.
