BMW surprised its fans by announcing that it will move forward with the production of the Skytop, the concept presented in May at the Villa D’Este Concours d’Elegance in Italy.
The decision was announced by Adrian van Hooydonk, head of the design department at BMW Group, at an event organized by the House of BMW in Milan, Italy, where the highly anticipated concept was showcased once again.
The convertible, which celebrates the history of iconic BMW roadsters, including the 507 and the Z8, features a front section marked by BMW’s traditional shark nose, combined with a new, more angular interpretation of the kidney grille. Additionally, the hood showcases two generously sized air intakes.
The rear appears to be inspired by the Z8, with smooth lines and slim LED brake lights. Another highlight of this Skytop is that it will be equipped with two manually removable Targa-style panels, instead of the retractable canvas electric roof used in the M8 convertible.
Under the hood, the Skytop hides a 4.4-liter V8 M TwinPower Turbo engine with 625 hp and 750 Nm of torque, paired with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission.
Enhancing all-wheel traction is the BMW xDrive system, which distributes engine power between the four wheels as needed and optimizes stability and driving dynamics in any situation. With this setup, the BMW Skytop boasts an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in about 3.3 seconds.
“The BMW Skytop is a truly exotic design and offers a combination of driving dynamics and elegance at the highest level”, said Adrian van Hooydonk. “We can finally announce that this car will be built, and it is a dream come true. Thank you for the very positive response worldwide and to the passionate team that worked on the project.”
BMW also revealed that it will produce only 50 units of the convertible Skytop and that all units are already sold, even before the model has reached the production line.
