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BMW revives the B7 name for its new ALPINA 7 Series
BMW will reuse the B7 badge on the next ALPINA 7 Series, the G72, which is due to debut in spring 2027 with a V8 engine.
By George Kensington · 3 min read
BMW is bringing back the B7 name for its next ALPINA 7 Series, the G72. The badge was last used on the G12 B7, which went out of production in September 2022, so the name returns to the range after a gap of a few years. It keeps the lineage of a model that has long sat at the performance-focused end of the luxury saloon market.
The B7 name dates back to the E65 generation of the 7 Series, the model that replaced the B12. Reviving it also avoids a clash with the 760 badge used on the BMW M760 xDrive, a car powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 producing about 563 horsepower. Keeping the ALPINA name distinct from BMW's own high-performance models is therefore part of the reasoning behind the choice.
The decision comes after BMW took over the ALPINA brand on January 1, 2026. ALPINA's head, Oliver Viellechner, has said the car will fill a gap in the range between BMW's standard models and Rolls-Royce. That places the ALPINA 7 Series above the regular 7 Series in performance and exclusivity, while stopping short of the ultra-luxury territory occupied by Rolls-Royce.
Details about the engine have been confirmed only in part. BMW has confirmed a V8, but output figures have not been officially released. A prototype reportedly passed 300 km/h at the Nardò test track in Italy, and a head-up display seen during testing reportedly showed about 589 horsepower and 578 lb-ft of torque. BMW has not described those figures as final, so they should be treated as unconfirmed.
The naming question extends to the wider ALPINA range. The next-generation ALPINA X7 will keep the XB7 name and is reportedly coded G69. The current XB7 is built alongside the standard X7 at BMW's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A final XB7 Manufaktur edition has also been announced, limited to 120 units for the United States and Canada, marking the close of that model's current run.
The new ALPINA 7 Series is expected to debut in spring 2027, though pricing has not yet been announced. Earlier reports had suggested that six-cylinder and electric versions could also be offered alongside the V8. It remains unclear whether every ALPINA 7 Series model will carry the B7 badge, so the naming of the wider range has yet to be settled.
Source: bmwblog.com
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