The one-of-a-kind BMW appeared at this weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy.

The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como is an annual beauty contest for historic cars and motorcycles. BMW has met this brief with its BMW Concept Skytop, a one-off taking inspiration from its historic past.

The convertible two-seater has a muscular yet sculpted appearance. The smooth, clean lines with a sweeping bonnet are styled similar to the BMW 503 from the 1950s and the more recent Z8 roadster - which the German marque says “were carefully chosen”. The headlights and rear lights - which BMW says are “the slimmest profile currently available” - complement the Concept Skytop’s appearance.

The leather finished roof has two removable parts which can be stored in a special compartment in the boot. Inside, the leather seats feature brogue style accents and combine with the reddish brown tone of the surfaces to create a consistent luxurious looking interior, further topped off by crystal applications in the cockpit.

What is it powered by? BMW says it “comes with the most powerful V8 engine in the BMW drive train portfolio” which would signal the use of the M8 Competitions 4.4 litre twin-turbocharged V8. The concept would be making use of the 617bhp and potentially replicate a 0-60mph time of around 3 seconds.

BMW hasn’t shared any details on future production plans for the concept, although a few sources state that the brand is waiting on the reaction from the reveal before deciding on what’s next. Could it potentially become a replacement for the 8 Series grand tourer which is set to finish production next year? Time will tell.

words: Mike Booth
pictures: BMW (UK) Ltd