BMW has been dipping its toes into the (almost) lost art of coachbuilding. In 2022, it revived the “Batmobile” with a special 3.0 CSL of which 50 cars were made on the M4 chassis. Last year, it brought back the “Clownshoe” with a shooting brake based on the Z4 M40i roadster but that sadly didn’t make it to production. A few months ago, it unveiled the gorgeous Skytop, an 8 Series with a targa top.
Now, the German luxury brand is confirming plans to put the Skytop into production, albeit the vehicle will have a limited run. Only 50 units will ever be made, and quelle surprise, all have already been spoken for. The price tag isn’t mentioned, but rumor has it the special car was available for somewhere in the region of €500,000. At current exchange rates, that works out to $547,000.
Even if this exorbitant asking price is accurate, it still wouldn’t be the most expensive new BMW ever. That title goes to the 3.0 CSL we mentioned earlier, which allegedly cost €750,000 ($820,000). Assuming the Skytop costs “only” about half a million dollars, it commands an enormous premium over the donor car, an M8 Competition Convertible you can have from $150,000 before options.
Coinciding with the announcement about the car going into production are details regarding the technical specifications. Featuring all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission, the road-going Skytop will use a twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V-8 with 617 horsepower. Yes, just like the M8. The 3.3-second sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) also matches that of the regular convertible.
Although the underpinnings are familiar, the exterior styling is a vast departure from BMW’s controversial design language. It takes inspiration from the 507 and Z8, which are arguably some of the prettiest cars to ever carry the famous roundel. The iconic shark-nose motif is a welcomed return to form, as are the clean lines as opposed to regular models with their busy designs.
While the M8 Convertible has an electrically retractable fabric roof, the Skytop gets two removable targa panels you’ll have to take off manually. They’re wrapped in synthetic leather, so it’s best not to drive the car when it’s raining. When you want to remove them, there’s a dedicated storage area in the trunk.
There is a problem we’d like to highlight. For roughly $500,000, one would expect a totally bespoke interior. After all, you’re paying Rolls-Royce money. However, the Skytop carries over the M8’s cabin, and even though BMW touts “handpicked materials,” the cabin looks instantly familiar. Well, maybe that’s not such a bad thing because this is an older interior without the big screens slapped atop the dashboard as is the case with nearly all current models.
BMW claims the “rapturous response” the concept received following its premiere at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa in late May prompted the company to approve a production version. Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design, goes as far as to say it’s a “dream come true” that the higher-ups from Munich green-lighted a limited series.
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