BMW Skytop Took 15 Months From Concept To Production

Immediately after BMW unveiled the Skytop in May, rumors emerged about a potential production version. However, we had to wait until October for an official confirmation. There is a first-world problem: only 50 cars are being made and all have already been sold for an undisclosed price tag. The German luxury brand has yet to reveal the final version, but in the meantime, it’s sharing additional details.

Officially called the Concept Skytop, the showcar from Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este will remain nearly identical in road-going guise. The vehicle’s product manager, Tobias Mühlbauer, says BMW was “able to translate the concept car almost exactly into the limited series.” The car took 15 months from concept to production phase, which honestly seems like a lot considering it’s an M8 underneath the skin. However, the lengthy development time goes to show this isn’t a cash grab and BMW took time to get things right.

Mühlbauer goes on to say BMW “made refinements to further enhance the driving experience, utility, and unmistakable quality.” Interestingly, they will individually manufacture everything from the headlights to the upholstery. I guess that’s not a big surprise considering these will be exclusive to the Skytop.

BMW confirms Skytop will use the company’s most powerful V8 engine ever. The twin-turbo 4.4-liter mill delivers 617 horsepower, which technically makes the previous statement untrue. If you recall, the M5 CS had an extra 10 hp at the driver’s disposal. The targa-topped beauty sends all that power to the road via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It sprints to 62 mph (100 km/h) in a little over 3.3 seconds.

Skytop harkens back to design icons such as the Z8 and the sharknose era. Its leather-wrapped removable top consists of two panels stowed on top of each other in the trunk. The rollover bar is covered in leather, so make sure you don’t drive the car in the rain. Putting the roof up or down is a one-person job since the panels aren’t that heavy.

This is the second coachbuilt model in recent years, following the 3.0 CSL from 2022. Last year, BMW teased us with the revival of the Clownshoe but the Z4 M40i-based Concept Touring Coupe failed to reach production.

Source: BMW