BMW Skytop spotted on the road for the first time – £400,000 special nears production
Just 50 examples of the BMW M8-based Skytop are expected to hit the road, priced at over £400,000 each
The BMW Skytop is officially going into production, albeit for a limited series, and the first undisguised car has already been spotted on the road before deliveries begin next year. Based on the V8-powered M8, the open-top model will be built in a run of 50 units, just like the reborn 3.0 CSL BMW unveiled in 2022. And yes, they’re already sold out.
The Skytop is powered by the familiar 617bhp 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that sees action in the M8 on which it's based, sending power to all four wheels via xDrive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Skytop is a hair slower than the M8 to 62mph, making the dash in a claimed 3.3sec.
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The Skytop is a celebration of BMW’s history of roadsters, from the iconic 507 Roadster to the Z8. It’s these that are referenced the most heavily in the Skytop’s design, with the sharknose arrow shape of the bonnet a nod to the former and that tapering tail referencing the 2000s BMW roadster. As is clear from these new images, visual highlights include headlights that have the slimmest profile currently available in the industry yet contain all the necessary lighting functions within.
Unlike some limited-run open top cars, the Skytop does come with a roof, albeit one that has to be removed manually. The two leather trimmed panels can be stowed in a compartment in the luggage area. That it has a roof at all greatly increases the grand touring credentials of the Skytop, though it’s doubtful many will be making the trans-Continental dash for Villa d'Este in 2026.
A distinctive ‘spine’ runs the length of the car from the bonnet to an aluminium bar across the boot lid. Small winglets on the shoulders of the doors replace the door handles, while the finned alloy wheels have something of a 1930s Streamliner about them. The colour, if you’re wondering, is Floating Sundown Silver and is hand-applied to each Skytop.
Inside is a sea of sumptuous brown – and occasionally brogued – leather to match the roof and rollover bar, with crystals elements around the cockpit. That aside, it is familiar to those who’ve spent time in an 8-series. Your musical needs should be adequately met by the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround system.
The car started life as a concept only, debuting at the 2024 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. However the strength of the positive response to the car by attendees, and presumably, prospective buyers, inspired BMW to proceed with a limited production run. The more limited these things are, the more expensive they are to produce, so expect the Skytop, with its totally bespoke coachwork, to be at least £400,000. When the concept was revealed last year, the caveat for a production version was that it’d take a year to get ready, so deliveries aren’t likely to begin until early 2026.
