For the past few days, BMW has been sending embargoed assets of the new Skytop concept to various media outlets. It seems that one of them has refused to play by the rules, deciding to spill the beans. The official premiere is set for later this week at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, but this video exposes the one-off in all of its open-air glory.
As we predicted while analyzing the teaser images, we’re dealing with a targa-topped convertible. The removable roof appears to have two panels that might be stored in the spacious trunk when not in use. Skytop seems to be a large car, likely based on the 8 Series Convertible. The interior is stuck with the iDrive 7, which the G14 still uses. The obvious difference inside is that BMW’s new showcar has only two seats.
Riding on turbine-styled wheels, Skytop has a sleek design with thin headlights flanking a wide kidney grille we wouldn’t mind seeing on production cars. In keeping with the company’s design trends, the front grille has an illuminated contour. The BMW roundel without a blue outline tells us it’s not a plug-in hybrid or an EV. That makes sense considering the 8er is sold strictly with a pure ICE setup.
The large air intakes also suggest there’s a combustion engine underneath the imposingly large hood featuring a central ridge. The Skytop’s rear deck is also bisected by a prominent fin that starts behind the flat window and reaches the center of the trunk lid. A gently curved ducktail spoiler lends the derrière an elegant appearance while the thin light strips echo the headlights. The large oval exhaust tips neatly integrated into the bumper contribute to the rear’s smooth appearance.
Rather unusual for a concept car, BMW fitted Skytop with fullsize side mirrors and even a rearview camera. Heck, it even has a front tow hook cap and rear red reflectors. Perhaps it’s not that unusual considering there’s a production model underneath the new skin. The clean profile was made possible by neatly incorporating the door handles into the beltline. The interior isn’t all that different from a regular 8 Series Convertible, save for that posh leather covering basically all surfaces.
BMW will showcase Skytop alongside the M Hybrid V8 Art Car in the coming days at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. The Motorrad division will also be there to show a new bike.
Source: YOUCAR / YouTube
