BMW Skytop – Is This the Most Beautiful BMW Ever?

BMW surprised fans and critics alike when it revealed the Skytop Concept last year, and now the sleek design is making its way to reality. First unveiled at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, the Skytop stood out with its sculpted bodywork and elegant proportions. Fast forward to today, and prototypes have been spotted testing on the Nürburgring, hinting that BMW is sticking very closely to the original concept styling.

Unlike many concept cars that get heavily watered down in production form, the Skytop retains most of its stunning design. The front end still wears those sharp, slim LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights, flanking a refreshingly small kidney grille. The bumper design, including the four horizontal slats in the side air intakes and a single bar across the lower intake, looks nearly unchanged.

There are only a few tweaks here and there, such as a slightly softer hood shape and redesigned side mirrors. The side profile remains athletic and classy, and the rear is practically identical to the concept, with ultra-slim taillights, a clean trunk lid, and a sporty rear bumper. The large dual oval tailpipes appear to be mostly decorative, but they still look aggressive. The test model was wearing new wheels and seemed to grip the corners at high speed effortlessly.

Underneath all that style, the Skytop is based on the powerful BMW M8 platform. That means it comes with the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine found in the M8 Competition, delivering 617 horsepower. But unlike the M8, which uses an electronic mechanism to raise and lower the roof, the Skytop keeps things old-school with a removable roof panel. You will need to manually remove and store it, which could be a downside for some, but it adds a tactile, mechanical feel to the experience.

Now for the part that might hurt a bit: the price. BMW is producing only 50 of these for customers, and each one comes with a price tag close to $500,000. That makes the Skytop the most expensive BMW model of the year and more than three times the cost of a regular M8. Yet all units have already been reserved, so unless you are lucky enough to find one on the second-hand market later, your chances are slim.

Because of its low production numbers and head-turning design, it is very likely the Skytop will become a highly collectible model. We are still waiting on official performance stats and a final debut date, but sources suggest the full reveal could happen within a few months. Customer deliveries should begin shortly after that.

Missed your chance to grab one? Do not worry. Some units are expected to appear on the resale market later—just be prepared to pay a premium. And if you enjoyed this breakdown, do not forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you never miss out on more updates from the world of automotive excellence.