The founders of BMW’s wholly owned tuning house, Alpina, have revealed this gorgeous – and much more powerful – coachbuilt version of the German brand’s already-rapid M4 Coupe.
With the Bovensiepen family having sold Alpina to BMW, they’ve now teamed up with famous Italian design house Zagato to produce this gorgeous BMW M4-based grand tourer, simply dubbed the Bovensiepen Zagato.
Revealed at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza on Italy’s Lake Como over the weekend, the first product from the Bovensiepens’ independent coachbuilding business delivers 443kW of power and 700Nm of torque from its turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine.
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As is the way of the former Alpina tuners, that’s significantly more than both the standard M4 manual (353kW/550Nm) and the top-shelf M4 Competition xDrive auto (390kW/650Nm), which is priced at $189,900 before on-road costs in Australia.
Bovensiepen says the result is 0-100km/h acceleration in just 3.3 seconds (0.2 seconds sooner than the M4 Competition) and a top speed of more than 300km/h – up from 292km/h.
The powertrain gains come in part from a lightweight twin-exit titanium exhaust system from Akrapovic, which is claimed to be 40 lighter than the standard system.
Bespoke three-mode Bilstein dampers help harness the extra performance.
Bovensiepen claims the Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus settings deliver “a range from pronounced comfort to athletic driving dynamics”.
But the sleek new Zagato-designed body will likely attract even more attention than this coupe’s Akrapovic exhaust.
As part of the Bovensiepen family’s aim to become “a manufacturer of outstanding automobiles that embody the ambition of fine driving”, the Zagato features all-new body panels to make it look significantly different to the mid-size German coupe on which it’s based.
Said to combine Bavarian engineering with Italian design, Zagato’s latest creation features the Milan-based company’s trademark ‘double bubble’ roof and rear window, and a reshaped bonnet and bootlid with integrated rear spoiler, plus a stainless steel grille and fully retractable frameless windows.
It bears the Bovensiepen logo on its front and rear, there are Zagato badges on the front wing gills and further branding can be seen on the brake calipers, wheel hubs, boot and centre console, which houses a special build number plaque alongside extra lashings of carbon-fibre.
An exact production number has not been revealed, but Bovensiepen says its inaugural special edition will be “strictly” limited after first deliveries take place at the end of the second quarter of 2026.
A long list of personalisation options will also be available for the interior and exterior, allowing each vehicle to be “as unique as its owner”, says Bovensiepen.
“Our goal is to build cars for connoisseurs and enthusiasts who appreciate the perfect symbiosis of design and technology,” said Bovensiepen Automobiles CEO, Andreas Bovensiepen.
Zagato’s chief designer Norihiko Harada said: “It’s a kind of blend of Italian charm, sensual and soft design, with a very solid, almost architectural German structure… a beautiful fusion of two automotive cultures.
“The art of coachbuilding was born in Milan over 500 years ago. Atelier Zagato has been operating for 106 years in collaboration with the most prestigious automotive brands. Designing the first car for a newly born marque is a tradition we are proud to continue.”
Established in the 1920, Zagato has previously worked with automakers including Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Bentley, Maserati and Lancia.
“This project with the Bovensiepen family is particularly special, as it continues the legacy of blending Zagato DNA with that of a new and inspiring brand, starting from its very first creation,” said Zagato president Andrea Michele Zagato.
The Bovensiepen Zagato was revealed at Lake Como just a day after the BMW 8 Series-based Speedtop shooting brake special edition, which will enter production next year.
Next year BMW will also reveal its plan for Alpina, after ex-Polestar designer Max Missoni was hired by the Bavarian brand to style all of its future luxury models including Alpinas.
