2026 BMW ALPINA XB7 MANUFAKTUR Marks the End of an Era

By InnoGazette Editorial Team | March 13, 2026

The 2026 BMW ALPINA XB7 MANUFAKTUR marks the end of an era.

XB7 MANUFAKTUR: What BMW Has Officially Announced

BMW’s U.S. and Canadian press releases define the contours of the XB7 MANUFAKTUR very clearly:

• Model: 2026 BMW ALPINA XB7 MANUFAKTUR.
• Production volume: Limited to 120 units for the United States and Canada.
• Positioning: A special model marking the end of BMW ALPINA XB7 production, explicitly described as “the last of its kind” in BMW USA’s own social and marketing copy.
• Production site: Built at BMW Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, with production commencing in September 2026, and deliveries expected to begin in Q4 2026.
• Price: For the U.S., a starting MSRP of $181,550 including destination, as reported by multiple outlets following the BMW release.

BMW frames the XB7 MANUFAKTUR as both a pinnacle and a conclusion: the most lavish and powerful iteration of its ALPINA?tuned X7, and a deliberate final run before the model line retires.

While BMW does not, in the MANUFAKTUR press materials, spell out the entire corporate integration timeline, this special edition arrives against the backdrop of BMW’s earlier announcement that ALPINA will transition from an independent manufacturer in Buchloe to a fully integrated BMW premium sub?brand by mid?decade, making the XB7’s send?off part of a larger structural shift.

Exterior: Frozen Heritage for a Finale

One of the defining elements of the XB7 MANUFAKTUR is its paint and exterior execution, which BMW is using to link the SUV’s send?off to ALPINA’s visual heritage.

Two exclusive Frozen finishes

BMW confirms that the 2026 XB7 MANUFAKTUR will be offered exclusively in two matte paints never before available on the XB7:

• Frozen ALPINA Green
• Frozen ALPINA Blue

Both colors are new to the XB7, but deeply rooted in the traditional ALPINA color palette, a deliberate choice to honor the brand’s five?decade lineage in one final high?riding application.

Shadowline black detailing and MANUFAKTUR badging

To set off the matte paints, the XB7 MANUFAKTUR receives a comprehensive Shadowline high?gloss black treatment:

• 23?inch ALPINA CLASSIC forged 20?spoke wheels, finished in high?gloss black.
• High?gloss black for the kidney grille frame, window surrounds, air breathers, front ALPINA logo, and quad tailpipe finishers.

A unique rear “XB7 MANUFAKTUR” badge identifies each example, while a MANUFAKTUR script on the B?pillars further differentiates the edition from “standard” XB7s.

Subtle ALPINA Deco?style graphics in black and the restrained use of logos keep the design within BMW’s current X7 family language while clearly signaling the special status of this variant.

Interior: Tartufo, Walnut, and “1 of 120”

Inside, BMW and ALPINA have treated the XB7 MANUFAKTUR as a rolling showcase for their cooperative craftsmanship.

Materials and colorway

Across all 120 units, the interior spec is unified:

• Tartufo Full Merino Leather upholstery throughout the cabin.
• ALPINA Walnut Nature Black trim for the dashboard and console.
• Black floor mats with silver ALPINA emblem pins.
• A trunk mat embroidered with the “MANUFAKTUR” wordmark.

The choice of Tartufo brown and dark walnut is intentionally classic, pairing with the Frozen exterior colors without overcomplicating the palette.

Heritage embroidery and numbered plaques

BMW emphasizes heritage cues and limited?run identity:

• Each front seat headrest carries the heritage ALPINA script embroidered in green and blue, echoing traditional ALPINA logo colors.
• A silver “BMW ALPINA XB7 MANUFAKTUR” plaque on the forward console lid underscores the model’s status, with each vehicle identified as “1 of 120” (rather than individually numbered “x/120”).
• Illuminated ALPINA door sills, an instrument panel with ALPINA production plate, and Piano Black or Walnut trim (depending on market) round out the brand?specific touches.

Comfort and audio

Standard equipment on the MANUFAKTUR edition is generous and fixed to match the flagship positioning:

• Second?row captain’s chairs as standard, emphasizing the XB7’s role as a luxury people?mover.
• Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System for high?end audio.
• Two handmade ALPINA weekender bags in brown LAVALINA leather, trimmed with the ALPINA script in blue and green, are included with each vehicle.

BMW is explicit that these elements are not optional extras but core to the edition’s identity, reinforcing the “curated final specification” theme.

Powertrain and Chassis: 631 hp, 3.9?Second 0–60, ALPINA?Calibrated

Underneath the cosmetic and trim upgrades, the XB7 MANUFAKTUR uses the familiar but heavily ALPINA?reworked S68?based bi?turbo V8.

Engine and performance

Key powertrain figures:

• Engine: 4.4?liter V8 Bi?Turbo, based on BMW’s S68.
• Output: 631 hp and 590 lb?ft of torque.
• Transmission: ALPINA SWITCH?TRONIC 8?speed automatic, with column?mounted anodized black paddles.
• 0–60 mph: 3.9 seconds (BMW?quoted), with independent testing of prior XB7 variants in 2025 recording roughly 4.0 seconds.

The powertrain also incorporates a 48?volt starter?generator integrated into the transmission bell housing, aiding responsiveness and smoothing fuel?saving interventions.

Chassis and dynamics

The chassis is a showcase of ALPINA’s tuning philosophy applied to a high?riding, three?row SUV:

• 2?axle air suspension with ALPINA?specific damper and kinematic tuning, offering 3.2 inches of ride?height adjustment.
• At very low speeds (below ~20 mph), the ride height can be raised 1.6 inches for clearance.
• At higher speeds, the vehicle automatically lowers 0.8 inches (and up to 1.6 inches in SPORT+) to improve stability and aerodynamics.
• Integral Active Steering with up to 2.3° of rear?axle steering angle, improving low?speed maneuverability and high?speed stability.
• ALPINA?specific calibrations for Dynamic Damper Control, Active Roll Stabilization, xDrive all?wheel drive, and the M Sport Differential, all tuned to deliver the brand’s characteristic blend of “effortless high?speed touring” and “natural, predictable responses.”

Driver?selectable modes—COMFORT, SPORT, and SPORT+—overlay these mechanical systems to give the XB7 MANUFAKTUR multiple dynamic personalities while retaining a clear ALPINA character.

Position in the ALPINA Timeline: Why This XB7 Matters

The XB7 MANUFAKTUR does not exist in isolation; it is part of the winding down of ALPINA’s traditional structure and the emergence of a new integrated phase under BMW.

From independent tuner to integrated sub?brand

BMW and ALPINA announced in 2022 that the long?standing cooperation would deepen, with the BMW Group taking over the rights to the ALPINA brand from Buchloe?based ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH & Co. KG as of 2025, subject to regulatory approval. The intent was to:

• Preserve the ALPINA name and ethos within BMW’s own brand architecture,
• Allow ALPINA’s Buchloe operation to refocus on engineering, service, and heritage, and
• Integrate future ALPINA?badged products more tightly into BMW’s production and planning processes.

Under that roadmap, the XB7—first introduced for the 2021 model year as the ALPINA version of the X7—becomes a finite project. BMWBlog and other specialist outlets are explicit: “The XB7 will go down in history as the first ALPINA model built outside of Buchloe. After six years of production, BMW is calling time on its most luxurious SUV, outside of the Rolls?Royce Cullinan.”

The XB7 MANUFAKTUR, then, is both a product send?off and a symbolic marker: the last ALPINA?badged full?size SUV of this generation, and likely the last to carry the XB7 nameplate.

A North America?focused farewell

The 120?unit allocation exclusively for the U.S. and Canada underscores how important the North American market has been for ALPINA’s SUV experiment:

• The X7 platform itself is built in the U.S., at Spartanburg.
• North America has historically been one of the strongest regions for high?margin, high?spec SUVs, making it a natural stage for closing the XB7 chapter.

By focusing the MANUFAKTUR run on this region, BMW signals both gratitude and exclusivity to its most XB7?relevant customer base. Media coverage at events like the Amelia Concours 2026, where the XB7 MANUFAKTUR was shown, reflects that positioning: the car is framed as a collectible, “last of its kind” piece aimed at dedicated ALPINA enthusiasts and high?end BMW customers alike.

Market and Brand Implications

For BMW and ALPINA

With the XB7 MANUFAKTUR, BMW:

• Closes a chapter on ALPINA?branded full?size SUVs as a discrete product line.
• Demonstrates how MANUFAKTUR?style curation (fixed spec, exclusive colors, integrated accessories) can be used to send off models and reinforce brand heritage.
• Creates a bridge to the next generation of BMW ALPINA products, which will live more firmly under the BMW umbrella while still drawing on the design and engineering philosophy refined in Buchloe.

Specialist coverage hints that BMW ALPINA is working on a follow?up high?performance full?size SUV under a different name, but as of March 13, 2026, there is no official successor to the XB7 detailed in BMW’s press materials.

For collectors and enthusiasts

For enthusiasts, the XB7 MANUFAKTUR represents:

• The most powerful and most richly specified XB7 to date, with its 631 hp V8 and curated spec.
• A limited?run end?cap that is likely to hold particular interest in the secondary market, given its clear “final edition” messaging and low production volume.
• A rare example of an ALPINA product that is simultaneously built far from Buchloe (in Spartanburg), developed under BMW’s increasingly integrated ALPINA strategy, and explicitly framed as the closing note of a short but significant model lineage.

For those who view ALPINA as a distinct design and engineering ethos nested within BMW, the XB7 MANUFAKTUR is a transitional artifact: the last XB7, but not the last ALPINA.

Conclusion: A Measured Farewell in an Era of Integration

BMW’s March 2026 announcement of the 2026 BMW ALPINA XB7 MANUFAKTUR is more than just another special edition. It is a carefully composed farewell to an SUV that helped test how far ALPINA’s values—effortless speed, long?distance comfort, and discreet luxury—could be stretched into the high?riding, three?row form factor.

The combination of:

• 120?unit, North America?only production,
• Exclusive Frozen ALPINA Green and Blue paints,
• Heritage?coded interior with Tartufo leather, Walnut Nature Black trim, and “1 of 120” badging, and
• The full 631 hp ALPINA?tuned V8 powertrain

ensures the XB7 MANUFAKTUR will stand apart, not just as the ultimate XB7, but as a marker of the moment when ALPINA’s path formally merged into BMW’s evolving brand hierarchy.

As the BMW Group moves toward a future where ALPINA is no longer a semi?independent coachbuilder but a fully integrated premium sub?brand, the XB7 MANUFAKTUR offers a last clear snapshot of how the old arrangement expressed itself in metal—and a hint of how much of that DNA BMW intends to carry forward.