BMW will use the 31st Amelia Concours d’Elegance as the launchpad for a new limited-production ALPINA model exclusive to the United States and Canadian markets, with the reveal scheduled for Friday, March 6 at 2:15 PM ET. The event, held March 6–8 at the Golf Club of Amelia Island and The Ritz-Carlton Resort in Fernandina Beach, Florida, will also see BMW Classic USA mark three significant anniversaries in its model history.
Details on the ALPINA model remain under embargo ahead of Friday’s unveiling. What’s confirmed is that it will be a North American-exclusive, limited-run vehicle — a strategy ALPINA has used in the past to tailor specific configurations for regional markets. Once revealed, the car will remain on display at The Ritz-Carlton’s main entrance throughout the weekend.
Founded in 1965
ALPINA, founded by Burkard Bovensiepen in 1965 in Buchloe, Bavaria, built its reputation by reworking BMW platforms with higher-displacement engines, hand-assembled internals, and softer long-distance suspension tuning — a deliberate counterpoint to M GmbH’s track-oriented approach. The German government recognized ALPINA as an independent vehicle manufacturer in 1983, a status few tuners have achieved.
BMW acquired the company in 2022, raising questions among enthusiasts about how long the brand would maintain a distinct identity separate from the M division. Unofficially, we heard that BMW will keep the two lineups clearly differentiated. In the U.S. market, ALPINA availability has historically been limited — the B7 arrived in 2012, the XB7 followed in 2020 — making a North American-exclusive model an unusual move and one that will likely drive significant interest among the brand’s collector base.
Lots of BMW Celebrations in 2026
Alongside the ALPINA premiere, BMW Classic USA will present a six-generation M3 display, timed to the model’s 40th anniversary. The original E30 M3 debuted at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show and went on to win the World Touring Car Championship in 1987, establishing a motorsport lineage that has continued through five subsequent generations. The display at Amelia offers an opportunity to trace how the M3’s character has evolved — from the high-revving naturally aspirated engines of the E30 through E46 era to the turbocharged inline-six and V8 configurations of the current G80 platform.BMW to Unveil Exclusive ALPINA Model at Amelia Concours
The weekend’s Sunday Cars & Caffeine event broadens the anniversary focus, celebrating two additional milestones. The BMW 6 Series turns 50 this year — the E24 coupe launched in 1976 and set a template for BMW’s grand touring approach that persisted through four generations. The BMW 2002 marks 60 years in 2026; its combination of a compact body and responsive four-cylinder engine is widely credited with shaping BMW’s sporting identity in North America during the late 1960s and 1970s.
BMW’s decision to stage a new ALPINA reveal at a concours event — rather than a dedicated press conference or auto show — signals the intended audience: collectors and long-term enthusiasts rather than the mass-market buyer. Whether the model is simply new colors and trims, or something more bespoke, will become clear on Friday afternoon. Full details on the ALPINA reveal will be available following the March 6 embargo lift.
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
Source: https://www.bmwblog.com/2026/03/02/bmw- ... ours-2026/