The BMW Skytop Concept Will Be A Limited Production Car!

SAUDI ARABIA : BMW’s Skytop Concept car is poised for homologation and could see limited production with deliveries starting next year, according to company executives. Officially unveiled at Villa d’Este on May 24, this 8 Series-based vehicle features the M8’s 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8, tuned to produce 626bhp. Drawing inspiration from the Z8, the Skytop incorporates several design elements reminiscent of the early 2000s model.The Skytop boasts a high-end open-top design with a removable Targa-style roof and an integrated roll-over hoop, showcased at the prestigious Villa d’Este concours, an event celebrating luxurious and extravagant automobiles.

The design of the Concept Skytop reflects this spirit, emulating classic BMW grand tourer proportions with a long, prominent bonnet, a cabin set far back within a stretched wheelbase, and a subtly sloping rear boot. Despite its traditional shape, the car's design is thoroughly modern, featuring smooth surfaces, elegant lines, advanced lighting, brushed aluminum accents, and meticulous detailing.The front end sports a heavily tapered kidney grille with two illuminated elements and horizontal louvers, creating a pointed profile reminiscent of BMW’s classic ‘shark-nose’ look. Ultra-thin LED headlights and large bonnet vents enhance its aggressive, sporty appearance.

Moving further back, the Skytop showcases a steeply raked windscreen and a Targa-style roof with two leather-trimmed panels designed to be stowed in a dedicated boot compartment. These roof panels attach to the top of the windscreen and a leather-trimmed roll-bar hoop behind the seats. This hoop forms the frame for an upright rear window, flanked by prominent buttresses featuring a Hofmeister kink along their leading edge.

These buttresses sit above broad rear haunches that extend towards the rear, visually lengthening the concept car. The boot includes a distinctive central divider that echoes the bonnet’s design and curves up into a small ducktail spoiler, reminiscent of the E63-generation 6 Series designed by former BMW design chief Chris Bangle.Eschewing pure-electric power, BMW’s latest concept features “the most powerful V8 engine in the BMW drivetrain portfolio” – a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged unit that powers the most potent M cars, producing up to 626bhp. This is another nod to the Z8, which used a 5.0-liter V8 producing 395bhp and 369 lb ft of torque.

While no technical specifications for the Concept Skytop have been released, it is known to be based on the CLAR platform, which underpins all BMW models from the 3 Series upwards. If approved for production, the road-ready Skytop would be expected to go on sale in early 2026, potentially replacing the current 8 Series launched in 2018. While this concept envisions a luxury convertible, it remains unclear whether BMW will continue to offer the coupé and four-door fastback variants of the 8 Series. The Skytop is the first forward-looking BMW show car since the Concept 4, revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, to be powered by a combustion engine.

As BMW gears up to launch its Neue Klasse family of EVs from 2025, it has not set an end date for petrol and diesel cars, suggesting that the Skytop indicates a continued future for large-capacity engines in select segments.