It’s not day by day that you simply see a BMW prototype with a targa roof carving by means of the snow, however the Skytop isn’t your on a regular basis BMW. Noticed in Austria this previous week, the camouflaged grand tourer was present process cold-weather testing—a remaining take a look at earlier than the primary deliveries roll out later this 12 months.
Initially revealed because the Idea Skytop at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, BMW has promised that the manufacturing mannequin will stay nearly an identical to the present automotive. That’s no small feat, contemplating how idea vehicles typically endure vital adjustments earlier than hitting the highway. Final 12 months, Tobias Mühlbauer, the Skytop’s product supervisor, confirmed that solely minor refinements had been made to enhance the driving expertise and value. All the things from the headlights to the upholstery is being individually crafted, a degree of consideration reserved for BMW’s rarest fashions.
Below the Pores and skin: The Most Highly effective V8 BMW Has Ever Constructed?
Powering the Skytop is BMW’s twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8, delivering 617 horsepower. That’s a severe quantity of grunt, although it falls simply in need of the 627-hp M5 CS—a technicality BMW would in all probability want to gloss over. Paired with an eight-speed automated and xDrive all-wheel drive, it rockets to 62 mph (100 km/h) in simply over 3.3 seconds.
Design Impressed by BMW Icons
Mixing BMW’s wealthy design heritage with trendy efficiency, the Skytop echoes legendary fashions just like the BMW Z8 and basic sharknose designs. Its two-piece detachable roof panels neatly stack on prime of one another within the trunk, guaranteeing straightforward one-person operation. A key spotlight is its leather-wrapped rollover bar, reinforcing the automotive’s high-end craftsmanship—although house owners would possibly wish to assume twice earlier than driving it within the rain.
Once we spoke to BMW design chief, Adrian Van Hooydonk, emphasised that the manufacturing Skytop might be just about unchanged from the idea. The solely modifications embody the addition of parking sensors for improved usability. The automotive’s putting muted silver exterior end, created by a grasp painter at BMW’s Dingolfing plant, will carry over unchanged. The taillight signature, that includes a skinny LED strip, and the razor-thin headlights, which Van Hooydonk calls the slimmest ever seen on a BMW manufacturing car, will even stay intact.
Few trendy BMWs have drawn comparisons to the iconic Z8—however the Skytop earns that honor. It’s a low-slung, shark-nosed magnificence, full with a leather-wrapped roll hoop and a detachable two-piece targa roof that stacks neatly within the trunk. In contrast to some complicated convertible mechanisms, the Skytop’s roof panels are gentle sufficient to be dealt with solo. Simply don’t go away them behind if rain is within the forecast.
Adrian Van Hooydonk, BMW’s design chief, confirmed that the muted silver exterior end from the idea will stay, together with the modern taillight strip, additional distinguishing the Skytop from the rest within the lineup.
A Manufacturing Course of Match for a Particular Machine
Just like the BMW 3.0 CSL, the Skytop received’t be assembled on a traditional manufacturing line. As an alternative, BMW is adopting a bespoke manufacturing strategy, guaranteeing meticulous consideration to each handcrafted element. That is obligatory given its excessive degree of customization and restricted quantity.
A €500,000 Collectible—Already Offered Out
With solely 50 models set for manufacturing, exclusivity was all the time a given. Unsurprisingly, each single Skytop has been bought out at a staggering €500,000 ($540,000 USD) price ticket. Deliveries are anticipated earlier than the top of 2025, marking one of the crucial prestigious and uncommon BMW creations in latest historical past.
[Photos and Videos: @iliaswauters]
