Yesterday

Oof: new V8-powered BMW Speedtop unveiled

BMW has history when it comes to stunning Villa D'Este concepts - here comes another, with the option to buy

---

It would seem that BMW’s Concept Skytop from last year’s Villa D’Este made a very good impression in real life as well as online. Following confirmation that a few of those would be built for well-heeled collectors, BMW has followed it with the Concept Speedtop for the 2025 running of the Lake Como extravaganza. Like last year’s roadster, the Speedtop gets V8 power, exquisite materials, and a bold, beautiful design. They’re going to make this one, too - what a pair Speedtop and Skytop look set to make. 

BMW suggests that the Speedtop is an ‘exclusive three-door interpretation of a BMW Touring’, proof if it were needed that even multimillionaires can’t resist a fast Bimmer wagon. Only this is somewhat different to anything we’ve seen made by BMW, a traditional shooting brake brought up to date with modern details. It’s a long, large, broad BMW flagship, complete with slim front lights and just-about-appropriately sized kidney grilles, albeit with a hatchback. A very neatly incorporated one it looks like, too, complete with a Hofmeister kink, some careful crafting of the rear haunches, and a nice rake to the rear glass. Plus a huge pair of exhausts to remind all around of its 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 heart. Anyone who finds themselves gawping at the Speedtop in preference to the Skytop certainly isn't alone. 

As with last year’s concept, the new model gets a spectacularly overhauled cabin, described by BMW as a ‘generous interior for weekend getaways for two’ - complete with Schedoni luggage set even. As well as the pair behind the seats, a weekend bag will be offered to Speedtop clients. As with the open-top car, the colour scheme inside mirrors that of the exterior, here with the brogue-like detailing on Sundown Maroon and Moonstone White seats. The roof spline that ran through the entirety of the Skytop is here too, and actually makes it to the headliner alongside. Any issues with familiar BMW switches will probably be dismissed in a haze of gorgeous-smelling hide. And at least it’s a BMW interior with some switches…

The outside is painted Floating Sunstone Maroon, a lovely deep red that we'd guess is new and unique to the Speedtop. Same for the new 14-spoke wheels which, despite officially being called two-tone, are predominantly silver - and look all the better for it. More like this please, BMW, even if it is just nicer-looking wheels. 

Adrian van Hooydonk, as Head of BMW Group Design, rightly sounds quite proud of the Concept Skytop: “A true BMW exudes dynamism and elegance even when it’s standing still, and that’s also the case with our new concept car. The BMW Concept Speedtop is characterised first of all by its profile. It is very unique in the automotive industry. In this way, we have created an exclamation mark for our entire lineup of vehicles, especially for the Touring models.” 

It’s certainly giving glamour in a way that no other BMW currently in production can. They really are going to make the Speedtop, too, and if the images seen of a Skytop in testing are anything to go by, then it won’t change much between concept stage and a place in the portfolio. There will be 70 produced, finished with ‘the expertise of the Manufactory workshop’ at Dingolfing, compared to 50 Skytops. It appears that there really is an opportunity to grab one, too; this car has remained top secret, and today’s press release states that the Speedtop is available to order. So don’t delay - European road trips will never be quite the same again. 

---

• BMW confirms V8-powered Skytop for production
• BMW M5 CS (F90) | PH Heroes

[boozyjay]

Too much overhang on the rear.

[BlackTails]

At last: a BMW that doesn’t look like a beaver that has been sent to Halfords.

Why do I feel that this will be prohibitively expensive even by the standards of modern cars?

[Panamax]

boozyjay said:

Too much overhang on the rear.

This. Much too much.

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Looks great from some angles and wrong from others

[biggbn]

I think that is brilliantly flawed. What a wonderful, wonderful thing...

[HJG]

[Robertb]

Just need Jim Bowen to say “let’s see what you could’ve won”

That is stunning. Please BMW make normal cars look more like that rather than a cyber-beaver

[E63eeeeee...]

Can't decide if I like that or not, and I'm a big fan of a shooting brake most of the time. It looks stunning from some angles and a bit clumsy from others.

[Johnspex]

That is lovely.

[Mr R]

Rarely compelled to post but that is lovely. Nice just to see something different in terms of design language.

[LaceMarketLouis]

I can't lie, I fking love a Reliant Scimitar

[matnrach3]

Looks like a bad AI render

[NDNDNDND]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, never gonna happen, move along, nothing to see etc, etc.

[kambites]

Hmm, I can see what they were aiming for but for me they have missed the mark. There's too much body work above the wheel arches, especially at the rear, which makes the wheels look tiny. I think the very cab-backwards proportions are interesting and could work well, but the glasshouse is too low at the back making it look sort of squashed.

IMO the excessively high shoulder line and small glasshouse is a scourge of modern car styling in general, but this suffers from it worse than most. It's a shame because all of the right ideas are there.

[GTRene]

HJG said:

That indeed, from some angles you think, ow, ok, not to bad, that could be something, then the full side picture comes and bam, dream destroyed, what is happening with BMW... they are dead wrong.

[Syndrome280]

Don’t do that. Don’t give me hope that BMW might actually return to some sense of style; rather than beaver teeth, fake vents and so many different angles it looks like someone slapped a set of number plates on a relief map of Wales.

Bit odd shape at the back, but if they could bring that design language to a 3 or 5 series I’d actually start to look at modern BMW offerings.

[MitchT]

The Z4 based concept that they made a couple of years ago looked better proportioned. I'd prefer an inline six to a V8 too - to me the 6 has the quinessential "BMW" sound.

I don't see why they couldn't have put this into production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDLsNbAjuQ8

[Debaser]

Rear and front overhangs are too long. Weird proportions.

Is it RWD?

[GTRene]

MitchT said:

The Z4 based concept that they made a couple of years ago looked better proportioned. I'd prefer an inline six to a V8 too - to me the 6 has the quinessential "BMW" sound.

I don't see why they couldn't have put this into production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDLsNbAjuQ8

that Z4 is supercool, way better proportions and looks, the interior in that example is superb, the color, the stiksels, etc, the way I would love it.

[LM240]

GTRene said:

MitchT said:

The Z4 based concept that they made a couple of years ago looked better proportioned. I'd prefer an inline six to a V8 too - to me the 6 has the quinessential "BMW" sound.

I don't see why they couldn't have put this into production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDLsNbAjuQ8

that Z4 is supercool, way better proportions and looks, the interior in that example is superb, the color, the stiksels, etc, the way I would love it.

That was lovely, shame it never came to anything.

I’ve seen £480,000 mentioned with regards this new one. I know it is irrelevant to prospective owners and you’re buying into the exclusivity of it, but I can’t help but feel I’d want something a little bit more special for that kind of money.

But low run bespoke bodied cars, even if based on existing platforms is going to cost in small numbers.