The BMW Skytop Concept Looks Like an 8 Series With a Targa Top

BMW says the Skytop takes inspiration from the Z8 and the 503. But all we see is an 8 Series with its roof cut off.

By: Brian Silvestro

May 24, 2024 at 3:59pm ET

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BMW loves revealing concept cars at Villa d'Este. This year is no different, with the German carmaker taking the wraps off the Skytop Concept, a two-seater coupe without a roof the company says takes inspiration from its past models.

"The BMW Concept Skytop is a truly unique and exotic design, in the tradition of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este," says Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design. "It offers a combination of driving dynamics and elegance at the highest level, comparable to its historic ancestors, like the BMW Z8 or BMW 503."

Connections to the Z8 roadster are obvious. The Skytop's thin taillights and sharknose front end are clear design inspirations lifted from the early 2000s roadster. The sculpted hood design, small headlights, and unique flat-decked rear end remind us of the 503 from the late 1950s.

From a quick glance, though, you'd think the Skytop was just a rebodied 8 Series. It has similar proportions and uses the 617-horsepower 4.4-liter V-8 from the M8 Competition. We wouldn't be surprised if BMW simply used an M8 as a base and resculpted the lines.

BMW doesn't give any other technical or performance specs, though if we had to guess, the Skytop is also using the M8 Competition's eight-speed automatic transmission and trick all-wheel drive system.

The production-car-like theme continues inside. The dashboard setup looks to be lifted straight from the 8-Series, with a familiar digital gauge cluster, infotainment screen, center stack, and gear selector. While the leather-clad seats and steering wheel look lovely, it's clear they're also production-based.

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The unique roll bar behind the seats is totally bespoke, though, and features a power-retractable window. The roof is a two-piece item that can be manually removed and stowed in the trunk area.

While the Skytop is likely production-based, we doubt it'll actually ever see an assembly line. BMW already makes the 8 Series coupe and convertible, so we assume a slick targa version would be cannibalized in the lineup, no matter how cool it looks.