At first glance, the BMW Concept Speedtop strikes with presence, but it’s the nuance in form and evolution in purpose that reveals its deeper intent.
Emerging as a reinterpretation of the 8-series-based Skytop, this new concept moves away from the roadster format and into the rarified world of the shooting brake—without losing the refined muscularity that defined its predecessor.
Presented at the 2025 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the Speedtop continues BMW’s tradition of revealing coachbuilt rarities beside Lake Como’s historic waters. This one, however, draws attention not just through elegance but through a tangible sense of motion and architecture, sculpted into metal.
The front end echoes the Skytop with precision—narrow headlight slits, a shark-nose fascia, and a horizontally striped, illuminated kidney grille, all of which bring assertiveness without excess. The signature character line makes a powerful gesture from nose to tail, terminating in exaggerated rear haunches that give the car a sense of planted velocity. However, the transformation occurs above this familiar base: the roofline extends rearward, converting the open-air vision of the Skytop into a shooting brake with a hatchback profile that feels both practical and dramatic.
The Speedtop’s spine becomes a central theme. It starts at the hood and continues along the roof as a sculptural ridge that flows into the rear spoiler—suggesting a continuity of form rarely seen in modern GTs. The gradient roof paint, shifting from Floating Sunstone Maroon to Floating Sundown Silver, offers not just visual depth but a storytelling element in hue—daylight transitioning to dusk. Below, 14-spoke two-tone wheels and recessed chrome door handles integrated within the window trim carry forward a sense of minimalistic detail executed with precision.
Inside, the Speedtop follows the language established by the Skytop and, by extension, the 8 Series—but with enhancements that elevate the cabin from production-grade luxury to crafted individuality. Sundown Maroon leather dominates the upper architecture of the interior, while Moonstone White defines the seats and lower panels, creating a purposeful contrast. The central spine finds its counterpart in a glowing LED strip running through the headliner, reinforcing the car’s sculptural consistency.
Even the rear cargo area receives the same treatment as the main cabin. Lined in leather and illuminated with a soft wraparound LED glow, it offers two bespoke luggage shelves equipped with straps to secure travel gear. Collaboration with Italian leather artisan Schedoni results in a set of tailored bags—each one fitting with the kind of precision expected of a grand tourer that values style as much as substance.
Technical specifics remain understated. BMW refers to the use of its most powerful production V8—a twin-turbo 4.4-liter likely shared with the Skytop’s 617-horsepower configuration. Mated to an eight-speed automatic and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel system, the Speedtop doesn’t just suggest performance through design—it is built to deliver it.
Production will be strictly limited to 70 examples. With the Skytop rumored to exceed $500,000, the Speedtop is likely to inhabit a similar price tier. Yet for the collector, the connoisseur, or the designer who understands the value of rare form following emotional function, the Speedtop offers more than exclusivity—it offers a new iconography in BMW’s design archive.
