Power for the Speedtop Concept is expected to come from the same twin-turbo V8 used in the M8 Competition
- BMW‘s Speedtop concept leaked online ahead of its official Villa d’Este world premiere.
- Sleek shooting brake design differs from last year’s Skytop but shares many components.
- Extended roofline adds style and slight practicality, yet the interior remains mostly unchanged.
It’s been a year since BMW unveiled the stunning Skytop concept, and in recent months, the car has been spotted during testing ahead of its expected limited production run. Now, BMW appears poised to reveal a shooting brake version of the handsome two-door, and what appear to be official images have already surfaced online ahead of its world premiere this weekend. In an age where surprise reveals are rare, this one slipping out early doesn’t come as much of a shock.
We received our first taste of the new design earlier this week when BMW dropped a handful of teaser images for the concept, which is set to make its official debut at this weekend’s Concours d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, held on the shores of Lake Como.
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Images circulating on social media channels, including the ones you see here shared by Cardesignworld on Instagram, reveal the full design of what’s being called the BMW Speedtop Concept. Its shape leans more toward a traditional shooting brake than the famously oddball Z3 “clown shoe,” which is probably for the best. While it sticks closely to the design language of the Skytop roadster, the Speedtop looks more cohesive than the Z4-based Touring Coupe concept from 2023.
The interior of the shooting brake seems to carry over from the Skytop almost unchanged. It features a tailored version of the standard 8-Series layout, minus the Skytop’s flashier two-tone palette. Thanks to the extended roof, there’s a bit more space behind the seats, though obviously, this isn’t a family wagon.
If the latest concept follows in the footsteps of the original roadster, it will likely continue to use the same underpinnings as the BMW 8-Series, including the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 as the M8 Competition. This engine, packing 617 hp, should give the car enough performance to match its exotic looks.
Fan Render Gets It Right
Not long before the leaked photos appeared, rendering artist Sugar Design shared his own take on what the production Speedtop might look like, and he pretty much nailed it. His renderings imagine both two-door and four-door versions. To craft the two-door shooting brake, the designer retained the front half of last year’s concept but ditched the removable roof in favor of a fixed one that stretches back to a steeply raked rear window. Wheels, doors, and mirrors all look to be carried over as well.
The four-door version he sketched is a more traditional estate with the Skytop’s design. It also looks good, but given the original Skytop will be ultra-expensive and capped at just 50 units worldwide, a four-door estate version like this seems a little too ordinary. We also think BMW would find it harder to convince customers to hand over an exorbitant sum of money for a four-door estate than it would be for a high-end, two-door shooting brake that looks much more stylish.
It’s still unclear whether BMW will greenlight the Speedtop for a limited production run like the Skytop, which is capped at just 50 units. But considering the buzz and the apparent readiness of the design, the odds are in favor.
