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Finally a new limited edition halo car from BMW?
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With any luck, the Bavarian Motor Factory will build 50 examples of this 8 Series-based targa top crowd-stopper and sell them for half a million dollars each.
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We took a quick ride in the open-air two-seater on the eve of its launch at the 2024 Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza.
Great minds think alike. BMW unveiled this striking Concept Skytop at the Concorso d’Eleganza event, where it has been a sponsor for 25 years. Just a few days earlier, in Monte Carlo, Mercedes had shown off the first of its Mythos cars, the striking F1-inspired SL-based PureSpeed spider, of which 250 will be made from 2025.
Like the Benz, the elegant and sporty BMW presented on the grounds of the famous Villa d’Este in Italy is a powerful, tailor-made open-air two-seater. The Skytop is intended to become a hand-built collector’s item. If the board approves the proposal, the first of no more than 50 items (although one source suggested 100) should be completed late next year at the automaker’s new bodywork wing in Dingolfing. The base price is rumored to be the equivalent of $542,000, which isn’t unreasonable considering the M8 convertible donor car currently costs over $207,000, including options.
BMW’s first show at the traditional Villa d’Este event was the radically modern 2006 Mille Miglia concept designed by Chris Bangle and his team. Other notable interim efforts included Benoit Jacob’s 2008 M1 Hommage, which previewed the great but flawed i8; Karim Habib’s 2015 3.0 CSL Hommage, which harked back to the magical original lightweight coupe from 1973; and the 2016 Hommage from 2002, which bridged the gap between the raw 2002 turbo and the M2 Competition.
So far, none of the nine show cars presented on the shores of Lake Como have gone into production, but last year’s Z4 shooting brake came very close, and in 2024 all the money is now on the Skytop, written by Marcus Syring. who will shape future Alpina models.
“The Concept Skytop offers a combination of driving dynamics and elegance at the highest level, comparable to its historical ancestors, such as the Z8 or 503,” says a proud Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. Although the basic proportions match the M8 convertible, the Skytop has no rear seat. Instead we find a sturdy targa roof/rollover protection element that also serves as a B-pillar with integrated, signature Hofmeister kinks. The long, sharp creases of the finned rear side panels meet the rear edges with the power-operated tailgate with tabs. The two roof panels must be manually removed and stored in the trunk, which is considerably smaller than the car’s generous dimensions suggest. With the exception of the windshield and doors, the bodywork is completely new.
The side view may not be the most appealing perspective of the Skytop. The huge filler cap makes even the big 21-inch rear wheels look small, the flared geometric rocker panel is at odds with the relatively soft lines and rays that form the flanks, and the brightly polished rims don’t match the anodized brightwork that defines the flanks. the DLO.
However, the front is perfect; When was the last time we said that about a new BMW? The winged double kidney grille is illuminated at night. The subtle horizontal bars on the side and lower air intakes and the rear diffuser are painted anthracite instead of black, which goes well with the terracotta-over-champagne color scheme. The ultra-slim, powerful four-point LED headlights and L-pattern taillights are nicely toned-down variations on a familiar theme.
Monochrome inside
But it is the interior of the Skytop that really stands out and makes the difference. It avoids the temptation to add conventional luxury touches such as too much chrome, wood everywhere, overly elaborate stitching, an over-the-top display or gimmicky contrast piping. Instead, the design team opted for a beautifully finished, completely monochrome driver’s environment, finished wall to wall in sumptuous soft leather. Nice touches include recessed speaker covers, leather-wrapped door sills, a brogue-style perforation pattern on seats and door panels reminiscent of men’s shoes, numerous pink crystal appliqués and a vertical rear window that can be lowered at the touch of a button. as in the 6 series. While the hopefully weatherproof skin covering extends to the targa beam and roof panels, the cabin’s contrasting color scheme spills over onto the long, boattail-style aft deck like an expertly applied two-tone paint finish with a twist.
A short drive
What is it like to pilot the latest work from Munich’s Dreamworks? It’s hard to say, because we had to take it easy, as any chip, grease or oil stain would have spoiled the grand appearance of the showpiece, which was planned for the next day. So the pace was slow and without registration documents or license plates the radius was limited to the private gated gravel paths of Villa Erba.
There are three things the driver will definitely notice before he or she gets into the car. There’s a full-length dividing line of a stingray-like central spine that extends from the hood to the rear deck, where it arrives after changing from body color to chrome. The metal door handles are small, upright and flush with the windows, apparently inspired by those of the Neue Klasse X show car. The interior is cozy, cozy and comfortable and matches all Rolls-Royces in terms of class and craftsmanship.
Unfortunately, the instrumentation is generic from the 8 Series: no round dials, no charming retro accents and no improvements to the ho-hum ergonomics. But the view over the more sculpted hood is very different, and so is the top of the Skytop, which feels more like a large sunroof than a classic convertible top. The three-quarter visibility is much better than expected, and there is a cocooning effect that makes the driver feel wonderfully isolated.
There are a few downsides too: the packaging is compromised for a car as big as this, an electrically operated top like the Ferrari 550 Superamerica’s smart glass roof could have been an attractive alternative solution, and even a mild power boost to the 625 hp strong V-8 engine would have helped justify the expected high price.
If great minds really think alike, why does Mercedes have an easier time producing a few Mythos cars while BMW has a completely different track record with its halo cars? Is it because Mercedes has more inspiring donor models for small, limited edition specials, such as SL, Gullwing, G-class, C111, Maybach and AMG GT?
We’d like to see the Skytop kick off a new streamlined Bespoke Strategy for BMW – one that would combine color and trim upgrades with very specific, but potentially deep, sheetmetal revisions. Watch this space, or next year’s Concorso d’Eleganza.
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