New BMW Concept Speedtop is an ultra-rare shooting brake with looks to die for
Although labelled a concept, the Speedtop will tread a very similar path to last year's Concept Skytop, which was also unveiled at Villa d'Este on Lake Como, Italy.
The convertible Skytop has continued development over the past 12 months, and Auto Express has caught it testing numerous times. It's clear that the production-ready Skytop looks just like the concept, and we can expect the same of the Speedtop. Advertisement - Article continues below
Not that you're likely to ever see one. The 2024 Skytop proved incredibly popular, with all 50 units selling out before its reveal – despite a price tag of around £500,000. The Speedtop is only slightly less exclusive, with 70 planned and a price tag to match that of the Skytop.
Sharing the same overall body and mechanicals as the Skytop, the Concept Speedtop is based on the hottest version of the current 8 Series – the M8 Competition. This means that under the sculpted bonnet lies a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 with 616bhp going to all four wheels, via an eight-speed automatic transmission. We don't know how the extra shooting brake bodywork affects the kerbweight, but the 0-62mph time should stay in the region of 3.2 seconds. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
BMW says the Concept Speedtop 'reimagines the sporty Touring' with head of BMW design, Adrian van Hooydonk stating: 'It's very unique in the automotive industry. In this way, we have created an exclamation mark for our entire line-up, especially for the Touring models.'
As with the Skytop, the Speedtop features a central spline that runs from the uniquely designed kidney grilles through the bonnet and on to the roof – ending at the raised rear roofline to create the shooting brake profile. The Speedtop also gets further bespoke details, such as 14-spoke wheels and an exterior colour gradient, which transforms from Floating Sunstone Maroon to Floating Sundown Silver.
Inside, there are more special touches for the Speedtop with brown and white leather upholstery and a 'BMW Concept Speedtop' inscription on the centre console. However, up front at least it's a recognisable 8 Series cabin with the same 12.3-inch screen on the dash.
To the rear it's vastly different. With the taller roof, you might have thought BMW would keep the M8's four-seat layout, but the rear seats have been removed to make way for two luggage bay areas split by a centre section with 'Speedtop' inscribed.
BMW has form for this kind of limited-run special at Villa d'Este. In 2023, the firm unveiled the Concept Touring Coupé as a modern interpretation of the iconic Z3 M 'Clown shoe' coupé, and in 2016 it displayed the Hommage concept, based on the previous-generation M2 and built as a tribute to the original 2002 Turbo.
Don't expect the Speedtop to be the last either. Sylvia Neubauer, vice president for BMW M customers, brand and sales previously told Auto Express: '[BMW's] strategy is to have a series of small-series additions that we offer to the markets. There will be something coming at Villa d'Este this year [the Speedtop], and probably some future small-series editions with the 'M' designation'.
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