By Khris Bharath – September 11, 2026
Bovensiepen Adds a Hand-Built 99-Unit Spider to Its Growing Lineup
The Bovensiepen name has been intertwined with BMW for over six decades. Burkard Bovensiepen founded Alpina in 1965, building the family business in Buchloe, Bavaria, into one of the most respected names in BMW performance. That relationship has now entered a new era with the Alpina brand becoming part of BMW, and its future was previewed by the Vision Alpina concept; the Bovensiepen family is forging its own path under its surname. That new chapter began last year on the shores of Lake Como with the Bovensiepen Zagato, the company’s first model and a collaboration with the legendary Italian design house. The 800-horsepower Bovensiepen 05 GT wagon, or Touring, followed, and now the Spider becomes the third model in Bovensiepen’s growing lineup. Its arrival is particularly timely, with BMW’s current roadster chapter approaching a milestone with the BMW Z4 Final Edition. BMW’s open-top sports-car heritage stretches back to icons such as the 507, and the Bovensiepen Spider carries that tradition forward in a distinctly modern form. View this post on Instagram A post shared by frankstephenson design (@frankstephensondesign) Limited to just 99 hand-built examples, the two-seat Spider retains the Z4’s classic front-engined, rear-drive proportions, with a long hood, short overhangs and a cockpit pushed toward the rear. As with the 05 GT, its exterior was developed with renowned designer Frank Stephenson, whose résumé includes exotics like the Maserati MC12 and McLaren P1. While the form is unmistakably based around the Z4, Bovensiepen has given the Spider its own visual character, with a deeper front splitter that carries prominent Bovensiepen lettering, joined by reworked lower intakes, revised side skirts and intricate multi-spoke wheels. At the rear, a more pronounced decklid spoiler, deeper diffuser and four round exhaust outlets further distinguish it from the standard BMW. The changes underneath are more substantial. The Spider’s inline-six produces 435 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, versus 340 horsepower and 369 pound-feet for the European-market Z4 M40i. It can hit 62 mph in 4.2 seconds, three-tenths quicker than the BMW, while top speed increases from 155 mph to 162 mph. With the Performance Package, that figure climbs to 183 mph. Bovensiepen achieves the additional performance partly through a revised intake with an added ram-air channel, an enlarged airflow-optimized intake silencer and a sports exhaust designed to reduce back pressure. Retuned dampers and longer rear auxiliary springs sharpen the chassis, while the Performance Package adds a milled-aluminum differential cover with larger cooling fins and an underbody V-brace for additional rigidity. With the Spider, Bovensiepen’s new identity now spans a coachbuilt grand tourer, high-performance wagon and traditional roadster, three distinct expressions of what the company calls “Fine Driving.” View All Supercars and Exotic Cars For Sale Images: Bovensiepen, frankstephenson design
