BMW and Alpina have a long history together. The tuning firm has been modifying the luxury automaker’s cars since the 1960s, starting out with performance and motorsport applications. These days, Alpina is better known for its ability to take regular BMWs and turn them into more luxurious, more capable versions of themselves, while still being distinct from the company’s own line of M performance cars.
Back in 2022, BMW Group announced plans to take ownership of Alpina, bringing the brand into its conglomerate, which also includes Mini and Rolls-Royce. The full transfer of ownership isn’t expected to take place until January 1, 2026, but BMW is already using Alpina products in a way I never thought I’d see before: It’s selling an M car with Alpina wheels, straight from the factory.
Depending on the BMW nerd you ask, this could come as great news or an ultimate violation of a longstanding, unspoken rule, which states that Alpina wheels should only be used on cars originally built or modified by Alpina. The M division and Alpina have, for the most part, always acted as separate entities, so seeing Alpina parts on an M car as standard equipment is fairly jarring, and something that’s only been done by owners in the aftermarket. But there is some precedent here, and it involves an ultra-rare, special-edition 3 Series modified by Alpina in 1983.
That car, the 333i, was developed in a collaboration between BMW, BMW M, and Alpina for the South African market, according to BMW Blog. It was meant to fill the shoes of the first-generation M3, which wasn’t sold in the country. It got a bigger 3.2-liter straight-six from the company’s 5, 6, and 7 Series models, tweaked with a few Alpina-specific parts for more power. There were also Alpina-specific brake discs and, of course, Alpina-made 16-inch multi-spoke wheels.
Weirdly, instead of using a 3 Series and calling up Alpina to do some mods, BMW decided to use the M2 as a base for this tribute, named the 333i Homage (notable not only because it’s uncreative, but because the M2 is not a 3 Series, it’s a 2 Series). And unlike the original car, BMW doesn’t mention any Alpina-specific performance enhancements. In fact, the only mechanical change is the funky four-exit center exhaust, which is an item lifted from the M Performance Parts catalog, not Alpina’s.
All of the other changes, including the decals, the splitter, the wing, and the (admittedly very cool) tartan-covered interior trim, are cosmetic. Really, the only thing that connects the 333i Homage and the original 333i are the wheels, a BMW badge, and some stickers.
Personally, I’m of the mind that Alpina wheels can be used on any BMW, whether it was originally blessed by Alpina or not. The iconic multi-spoke design looks good on any of the automaker’s products, no matter the age, shape, or condition. I’m not angry that BMW is doing this, but I am angry that this special edition is only being offered in South Africa.
It makes sense, considering the original 333i was exclusively a South African product. But what if I want to buy an M2 (or any other BMW) with Alpina wheels? If BMW is going to start offering these wheels on cars without the Alpina badge, it should just offer them as an option on every car it sells. I’d kill to have a base 2 or 3 Series with some Alpina multi-spokes. Maybe a set of Alpina wheels would finally get me to love the looks of the new M5. I won’t know until BMW adds them to the configurator.
Please, BMW, don’t be afraid to turn this into something every buyer can have.
Top graphic image: BMW
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“Please, BMW, don’t be afraid to turn this into something every buyer with six figures to burn can have”
FIFY
I don’t care what BMW does as long as it — ahem — “picks” a new nose for its vehicles and retires the Karl Malden influenced nostrils.
it’s got ricey and classy components on it all at once
I don’t get that tartan armrest. It needs to have more tartan or none at all. Having (apparently) only that one part makes it look like someone grabbed a non-matching armrest from a junk yard or it’s some Pep Boys accessory aisle cover.
Maybe another out of the blue question.
What’s in a name?
Is it the same Alpina that used to make cast aluminum intakes to put DCOE Weber carbs on almost anything?
They’re not exactly being “offered.” According to the article, they’re being auctioned in South Africa for about $115k.
https://www.bmwblog.com/2025/10/09/bmw-now-selling-an-m2-alpina-wheels
That interior looks like some kid left his insulated flannel on the console next to the sim rig in his bedroom.
The M is for “Marketing”.
It’s just an extension of the whore-ification of all things ///M. Since you can now buy even a 318i with a million M badges and they’ve exhausted that, Alpina is the next victim.
Me looking from the rear three quarter view, “Nice WRX”.
omg yes I came here to say “What, WRX coupe?”
same here, my first thought lol
Makes sense, the M2 is still bigger than that old 330i.
Depending on the BMW nerd you ask, this could come as great news or an ultimate violation of a longstanding, unspoken rule.
I mean BMW will put an “M” on anything, the numbering system means next to nothing and they made (make?) a four door called a Grant Touring Coupe. Now that they have, or more accurately the marketing team has, rights to the Alpina name what can possible go wrong?
Eh, I don’t mind this so much on the M2, which is kind of Eh to me to begin with. So long as they don’t start making a ///M Alpina 320i or something like that, which they probably will anyway.
ChatGPTGrok – Put together various BMW design tropes in a jarring combination that is too cartoonish for the Fast & Furious franchise.*yawn*
Feels like they’re using this to soft launch the new, meaningless Alpina
I’m probably in the minority here, but I’ve never been a big fan of Alpina wheels. They look good on some BMWs, but on some, they just look out of place. I don’t hate them on this M2, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.
BUT.. for some reason, that tartan armrest really speaks to me. I hope that is made available to purchase at some point. The world needs more plaid/tartan.
BMW and Alpina should always be kept apart……heid.
Also, that is a shitload of spokes. That would take a long time to clean each wheel.
Real Alpina wheels have hidden valve stems.
this is important
Can one special order a family tartan covered armrest?
Alpina multi-spoke wheels are an easy top-5 wheel design of all time, and vastly surpasses pretty much every single wheel design BMW has put on a car in the past decade. For that reason alone I fully support these wheels on every single BMW model.
M Parallels>>>>>>>>>multi-spokes
They’re closely matched in my eyes, but M Parallels generally win out slightly. That said, Alpina Multispokes look good on everything, and are available in a huge range of sizes, I’m sure 18″ M Parallels would look awful on an X5 or X7.
Fair. Multi-spokes have always just looked too busy to me. Then again Fuchs are probably my favorite wheels of all time so I have a proclivity toward simplicity.
I get that for sure, and a lot of multispokes out there are definitely too much. I think I appreciate the Alpina style because the style of the hub and spoke is very basic, just a circle and straight spokes basically. So the opulence is in the number of them, so they feel luxurious and premium, but not in a tacky way like current Mercedes/Maybach wheels with 150 logos buried in them.
That’s beautiful, which isn’t usually something I say about BMWs. Not sure about the tartan armrest though.
I’m crafty and can sew and will totally being making a tartan cover for my Honda armrest.
Same. I love tartan but the problem is that it’s the only thing with that pattern in there, so it looks like someone slapped a Temu armrest cover. Some tartan in the door cards and seats would have made it much more cohesive.