- BMW’s limited edition Skytop grand tourer has been spied minus all disguise.
- The modified 8-series was first unveiled as a concept at Villa d’Este in 2024.
- Only 50 cars are being built and they’re all sold despite a hefty $500k price.
Automakers can move fast when people are waving fat wallets at them. It was May 2024, just 12 months ago, that BMW’s Skytop made its debut as a concept at the Villa d’Este show on the shores of Italy’s Lake Garda. And now we’re looking at spy shots of a completely undisguised prototype, meaning a full reveal must be imminent.
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The reality is that BMW had obviously been working on the Skytop long before we knew about it, and had probably already sounded out its wealthiest clients to see if any would bite. They did, which is why BMW was able to announce very soon after the debut that all 50 of the planned units had been sold at around $500,000 a pop.
Related: BMW Skytop Entering Production, But It’s Already Sold Out
That price represents a huge markup over the 8-series on which the Skytop is based. But then this pricey project was more than a mild nip and tuck. Every panel is new, including the targa-style roof, which has to be manually stored.
Opinion is split around here over the result. Last year we called it “quite possibly one of the best designs we’ve seen out of BMW for a decade,” which isn’t saying much given the general ugliness, or just dullness, of most BMW designs until the Neue Klasse concepts arrived to shake things up.
There are certainly attractive elements to the Skytop’s design, the profile view being my favorite. But the front end is disappointingly ordinary, even with its super-slim LEDs and scooped hood, and the back end looks weirdly bloated, like the rear on mid 2000s retractable hardtop.
Images: Baldauf
As with similar coachbuilt products from Ferrari and Bugatti, the interior will only differ in minor trim details from the stock 8-series, which with its old-style center stack and standalone touchscreen looks rather antiquated. But no one will likely complain about the powertrain also remaining untouched. The M8 Competition’s 4.4-liter V8 pumps out a healthy 617 hp (625 PS) and should get the Skytop to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just over 3 seconds.
What do you think? Is the Skytop a great bit of BMW design or a poor attempt at creating a German Aston Martin that doesn’t quite work? Leave a comment and let us know.
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Images: Baldauf
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