BMW has a history of presenting some of its most intriguing and visually stunning concepts every year at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. For 2024, the Bavarian carmaker arrived at the shores of Lake Como with what is arguably the best-looking concept vehicle it has made over the last decade. Feast your eyes on the Concept Skytop, a drop-top grand tourer that pays tribute to the beautiful BMW Z8, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
According to BMW, the drop-dead-gorgeous concept is visually inspired by the Z8 as well as the BMW 503. “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.”
In our opinion, the front end of the Concept Skytop is simply outstanding with its razor-sharp headlights and well-proportioned kidney grilles, which might remind you of BMW’s legendary Sharknose design. BMW says the LED headlight units were custom-made for this concept and are some of the slimmest units around. The taillights are equally slim to complement the overall design of the concept. The two-seater has a Targa roof and features a leather-finished sports bar behind the seats.
The roof is divided into two parts, made of leather, and can be stored in a special compartment in the luggage space. The reddish-brown color of the roof beautifully complements the muted silver with chrome shadow effect of the exterior paint. The automaker says the highly complex color gradient was crafted by an experienced master painter.
You might also notice the Concept Skytop lacks traditional door handles. Instead, it has discreet side fins on the B-pillar, while the concept also gets a fully retractable rear window. On the inside, the cabin is bathed in plush leather, which is finished in the same color as the roof. The cabin design and the dashboard layout is familiar as it has been borrowed from the regular 8 Series. In fact, the Concept Skytop is based on the current M8 Competition. What that means is the stunning concept is powered by the 617 hp twin-turbo V8 found under the hood of the car it is based on. While the Concept Skytop is just a design study, there are rumors that BMW might put it into production if there is enough interest around it.
