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As the ancient proverb goes, “If you build it, they will come.” In the case of the BMW Skytop Concept, everyone showed up before the vehicle was even built. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it’s being built in the first place.
Introduced during this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, an ever-popular Bavarian-organized event in Northern Italy, the BMW Skytop was instantly a show darling and modern classic. Why wouldn’t it be? The little liebling is an absolute stunner. Unlike some of BMW’s recent designs, the Skytop generated a consensus approval rating. But something so gorgeous would never go into production. Production regulations tend to ruin a design in the name of safety and ease of use, and execs have said as much.
“Most of the time, there’s no production intent,” BMW Group Design Director Adrian van Hooydonk told BMWBlog at the time. “We’re not sure whether we’re going to make [the Skytop]. But we could because this time we put all the learnings into the design phase.”
Those learnings came from the limited-run, concept-turned-production 2023 BMW 3.0 CSL. The BMW design boss suggested that a similar small-batch build was possible. Van Hooydonk said the Skytop Concept design was production-ready, including its road-legal headlights and taillights. And what about from a technical standpoint? “From a technical point of view, yes, it’s very, very feasible,” he told BMWBlog. Blessed be the day!
But such a day came and went because van Hooydonk recently confirmed that the Skytop Concept would go into production after all, but in the same breath, stated that all 50 of them have already been accounted for.
“The BMW Skytop is a truly exotic design and offers a combination of driving dynamics and elegance at the highest level,” said van Hooydonk. “To finally be able to announce that this car will be built is like a dream come true. Thank you for the very positive response around the globe and to the passionate team that worked on the project.”
Should any of this really be a surprise? The concept was designed to be ready for the road, the response was “rapturous,” and maybe some veiled threats had something to do with the production decision.
BMW said the allocation was reserved for enthusiasts and collectors. The automaker didn’t divulge further regarding the distribution of how many here, there, and where. Munich did confirm that the concept’s powertrain would translate into the production model. The Skytop will boast BMW’s most powerful V8, a 4.4-liter engine that produces 625 horsepower. With an 8-speed Steptronic Sport automatic and an all-wheel-drive configuration. BMW says the Skytop will have a 0-100 km (62 mph) time of 3.3 seconds.
So, how much will the select 50 buyers pay? BMWBlog says sources suggest a Skytop price point of 500,000 euros ($547,000 at current exchange rates). However, the final number could be more. The 3.0 CSL supposedly started at about 750,000 euros ($820,000). No word on when production and deliveries will begin either, but it’s exciting to know that someday, somewhere, one of these gorgeous machines will hopefully be spotted in motion.
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