BMW used the past weekend’s 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este to debut the Concept Skytop, a two-seat sports car with a V-8 engine that BMW’s design chief says may just reach production.
Automotive News (subscription required) reported that Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design, said at the concept’s debut that while the car was designed as a one-off, limited production was possible within the space of a year.
He also reportedly mentioned last year’s 3.0 CSL as a case where BMW has offered limited-production vehicles in the recent past. The 3.0 CSL was built in a run of just 50 examples, and van Hooydonk reportedly said the Skytop’s production could be more limited still.
He also reportedly cited today’s strong interest in BMW’s Z8 roadster built around the turn of the century, a car which together with the 503 and 507 from the 1950s, inspired the design of the Skytop.
BMW Concept Skytop
Similar to the 3.0 CSL, which was based on a production model, specifically the M4 CSL, the Skytop is based on the current M8 Competition. And everything fitted to the concept, including its slim head and taillights, was developed with a view for production.
BMW unveiled another concept that looked production-ready, the Touring Coupe, during last year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. The car’s designer, Domagoj Dukec, hinted at the time that a limited production run was possible.
However, according to Automotive News, van Hooydonk said BMW canceled plans to build a run of Touring Coupes and that the automaker was now focused on the Skytop.
