logo
BMW's Stunning New Skytop Roadster Is Coming Next Year—and It's Already Sold Out

BMW's Stunning New Skytop Roadster Is Coming Next Year—and It's Already Sold Out

Yahoo21-04-2025
The BMW Skytop is taking its time getting here, but it is coming.
Delivery of the production version of the Z8-inspired concept is scheduled to begin in early 2026, according to BMW Blog. That time frame is a little longer than previously anticipated.
More from Robb Report
A Georgian-Inspired Florida Mansion With Venetian Gardens Hits the Market for $8.6 Million
Award-Winning Bartender Mr Lyan on Vintage Omegas, Rare Whiskey, and the Importance of Hip-Hop
Inside This Family's 7-Year Voyage Around the World Aboard a 146-Foot Explorer Yacht
The report comes a few months after BMW's head of design, Adrian van Hooydonk, said the customers would be driving the exclusive convertible before the end of 2025. But the new timing does make sense, as the 8 Series, which the Skytop is based on, is expected to be discontinued some time next year. That would make the gorgeous speed machine the sports car's swan song.
Representatives for BMW did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Robb Report.
If the Skytop ends up being one of the final current 8 Series models, it would be quite the way for the car's second generation to go out. Unveiled last May at the Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza, the two-seater features a sculptural look that includes an aggressive front end with razor-thin headlamps, a central spine that runs from the hood to the deck lid, and the removable roof panels that give it its name. The final design won't be identical to that of the concept, but it's expected, thankfully, to be awfully close.
BMW has yet to say what kind of powertrain will be under the hood. Since making its debut, the expectation has been that it will feature a mill similar to that found in the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 found in the M8 Competition. That engine makes 617 hp and 553 ft lbs of torque, which suggests the production model will be fast.
We're also still waiting to find out just how much the Skytop will end up costing. It has been reported that the car starts at €500,000, or roughly $579,000 by today's exchange rates, which is $420,000 more than the starting price of the range-topping M8 Competition Convertible. That price would also make it one of the marque's most expensive factory-built models of all time. Another recent few-off, the reimagined 3.0 CSL, started at $750,000, but has sold for well over that on the secondary market.
Whatever the Skytop's cost, it does not appear to have dissuaded interested parties. The entire 50-car run sold out last year before the model had even been confirmed for production. Fortunately, for those who missed out, it's only a matter of time until one makes its way to auction.
Best of Robb Report
The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast
The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards
The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht
Click here to read the full article.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

1977 BMW 320i Test: Never Dull
1977 BMW 320i Test: Never Dull

Car and Driver

time15 hours ago

  • Car and Driver

1977 BMW 320i Test: Never Dull

From the December 1976 issue of Car and Driver. To begin with, it's a splendid little car. The new 320i is not just a successor to the great 1600/2002 legend; it's a whole new level of sophistication and style in the 20-year evolution of BMW from bankrupt-builder-of-kitschy-sedans to personal and public darling of the West German Economic Miracle. You might be a little stunned by the price (about $8000) at first, but the car's undeniable charm makes it seem more reasonable every time you fire it up. Our test car was a glorious sort of restrained dayglo red. Maybe the reddest red on the road. A color you would prefer to be if lost at sea or marooned on the wrong side of Annapurna. At first, it also seemed like a color guaranteed to get you arrested, but in these days of radar and Vascar, old-fashioned visual observation isn't so much a part of the policeman's portfolio. The wheels were good-looking, argent-painted steel cosmetic racers with a lot of offset; there was some discreet black-and-chrome trim laid on the here and there; and the whole thing reeked of understated wedge-shaped go-fast. View Photos Ben Humphrey | Car and Driver Open the door, and the vinyl interior is just about perfect. Ours was what the British used to call "biscuit," and the seats were—like the first exterior impression—an open invitation to drive somewhere very nice very quickly. Our test car had a sunroof mit crank that worked very smoothly and seemed quieter than most at speed. The white-on-black instruments were neatly clustered in a semicircle framed by the top half of the steering wheel, right where the driver can see them, and at night they're indirectly illuminated by a red glow that reminds you of war movies shot in submarines. The wheel itself is a thing of beauty—small in diameter, slightly dished, and raked at exactly the correct angle for serious pleasure. Lights, turn signals, windshield wipers and washers are all controlled by wands on either side of the steering column, and the shift lever for the four-speed transmission is on the floor, exactly where you'd have put it yourself. View Photos Ben Humphrey | Car and Driver The front seats are firm and very Ger­man in the way they position you relative to the business at hand. The rake adjust­ment is controlled by a handy lever that you push to release, and the range of adjustment goes anywhere from puritan vertical to profligate horizontal. The front seat backs are folded forward by means of a release lever on either side of each seat—making it possible tor the driver to fold the passenger's seat forward with­out either getting out or lying down across the compartment. Fore and aft adjustment is both smooth and vast­—you can even get too far away from the wheel. The rear seats are roomy and comfortable. Real people really can ride there, largely because the rear wheels are set so far back on the chassis. Our first drive in the 320i was a little more than 500 miles from New York City to New Pittsburgh, Ohio. We drove through some awful rain squalls in East­ern Ohio, averaged just about 55 mph for the trip (including a stop for lunch) and achieved a not-to-be-sneezed-at 22.7 mpg for the trip, cruising at 75 most of the time. The car was superb. It ran like a train, hour after hour, and the ab­sence of features like a radio or air-con­ditioning or power steering was never noticed. It's surprising how inconse­quential such things become when you're in a car that works. View Photos Ben Humphrey | Car and Driver Our photographer, Humphrey Sutton, drove the BMW back from Detroit a few days later after photographing the new Ford Thunderbird. His reaction was like ours. "It's a wonderful car, that," he said. "It's very comfortable, quite nippy, really perfect for that sort of long drive. It gives you the feeling that people who really cared actually sat down and thought seriously about all the things that went into the design. Everything works the way you'd want it to. I'd swear that it's bigger inside than the Thunderbird and it goes faster. It'd be hard to come up with a reason for buying anything else." Once we got going, we tried to catalog our initial impressions. First, it's a much more sophisticated car than the 2002, the design of which was getting a little long in the tooth, no matter how much we loved it. Second, the smoothness and quiet in no way detract from the car's overall sportiness. Third, it's a long-legged car-while waiting to pass somebody at 55 or 60, you can preselect third and cruise along indefinitely without any feeling that the engine is straining or that the noise level is becoming intoler­able. All the frequencies seem to be tuned for blissful cruising somewhere between 60 and 80 mph. It isn't one of those Europeans that simply rebels at the 55-mph limit, but it does feel best going a little faster. It's possible that the car would settle down at 55 a little more enthusiastically if you ordered it with the optional ZF three-speed automatic transmission (our test car had the standard four-speed). View Photos Ben Humphrey | Car and Driver The heater/fresh-air system has been improved and will now move 89 percent more fresh outside air or 42 percent more heated air through the passenger compartment than its predecessor. We tried both. For the first 400 miles of our westward journey, we ran with the sun­roof open, the heater controls in the maximum fresh-air "Vent" mode and the swing-out rear windows open, because it was hot and muggy. We never felt too warm, and neither the fan nor the sun­roof noise was in any way obtrusive. We could still talk without shouting. Near Youngstown, Ohio, the temperature had dropped considerably and the rain reached cloudburst proportions. With the BMW all buttoned up, the windshield suddenly fogged over at about 70 and we needed defrosting fast. Slam the vents closed, open the defrost lever, push the temperature-control lever about a half-inch toward the red and, voila, a clear windshield again. Not many European cars could have done so well under those circumstances. Our second set of impressions were more those of the traditional road-tester and a bit less those of the blown-away car fancier. The gear spacing in the transmission was a little hard to get used to. First is a fairly short starting gear, with a longish gap between it and sec­ond. Then second, third, and fourth ratios are spaced logically and predictably. Un­less we wound the engine pretty tight, the first-second upshift never sounded or felt quite the way we wanted it to. Also, we found the engine a little rough and hesitant below 3000 rpm. It never actually balked or spit back at you, but it did seem to vibrate and stumble a little when trying to cruise at lower rpm. We avoided this by simply changing down to a lower gear whenever the revs dropped below 2800, but less-keen drivers might find the phenomenon disquieting. View Photos Ben Humphrey | Car and Driver As our experience with the car grew, we came to appreciate how large and commodious the luggage compartment turned out to be. Initially, we threw in a rather heavy load of luggage, which was no problem. Then there was a side-trip in Ohio for a little antique shopping and several more parcels disappeared into the well-appointed cavity. Then two framed prints we'd promised to pick up for Bruce McCall and, finally, a framed painting—a wedding gift—that mea­sured about 30 by 40 inches and simply slid into place on top of everything else without any danger of compression or damage from the hinges. And as a sort of luggage-compartment tour de force, we peered under the open deck lid and discovered a neat little fitted tool kit, of­fering exactly those six or eight imple­ments without which one should never leave one's driveway. In the cold hard light of testing, the brakes are a delight, pulling this new BMW down straight and sure from 70 in 218 feet. The 2002's arrangement of a power-assisted front disc/rear drum sys­tem has been carried over, but front brakes are now ventilated. On the skidpad, the adhesion is impressive at 0.71 g, but the combination of slow steering (4.0 turns lock-to-lock), softened ride and rather upright body is tough to keep track of. At the limit, the semi-trailing arm rear suspension occasionally kicks wide, and retrieving it takes great flinging of elbows. However, none of these aber­rations occurred on the road, under any circumstance, so we're inclined to ig­nore them. It would appear, however, based upon this road test and on con­versations with BMW personnel here in the States, that the new 500-series and 300-series products do represent a de­liberate move away from the racer-you-­can-drive-to-work concept and toward a sophisticated road machine. View Photos Ben Humphrey | Car and Driver The 300-series BMWs have a great deal to live up to. The 1600/2000 series enjoyed amazing success over a decade or so, and were in many ways the cor­nerstone of BMW's new-found preemi­nence in the upper atmosphere of en­thusiast automobiles. The new cars seem to be worthy successors to that critical responsibility. They are undeni­ably better and more contemporary cars in every way. All of the basic pieces are recognizable to anyone familiar with the older car, but they've all been reshaped, honed and upgraded, then assembled in more sophisticated ways. Brakes are bigger, cooling capacity is greater, the structure has become far more crash­worthy, noise and vibration are sharply reduced, the heater/ventilation system is a paragon of thermal virtue, and the car looks right for the next 10 years. View Photos Ben Humphrey | Car and Driver The BMW 320i stands as eloquent re­buttal to all those who'd have us believe that small economical cars that conform to the U.S. safety and emissions stan­dards must be, by definition, slow and dull, or that automotive performance for the late 1970s is best achieved with de­cals and trick names. This car is good-looking, sublimely comfortable, fast, safe, economical, and exciting. It is also expensive, but then what isn't? To drive through any major city in North America and check its inventory of Mercedes, Jags, BMWs, Porsches, Cadillacs, and Lincolns is to come face to face with the fact that there is apparently no top on the market for truly expensive cars any­more. The BMW 320i is real value-for­-money, no matter how much it costs, be­cause it's beautifully engineered and it's not boring. If that isn't reason enough to buy a car, then we'll transfer our alle­giance to mass transit. Specifications Specifications 1977 BMW 320i Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door sedan PRICE As Tested: N/A ENGINE SOHCinline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection Displacement: 121 in3, 1990 cm3 Power: 110 hp @ 5800 rpm Torque: 112 lb-ft @ 3750 rpm TRANSMISSION 4-speed manual CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/trailing arms Brakes, F/R: 10.0-in vented disc/9.8-in drum Tires: Continental TS771 185/70HR-13 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 100.9 in Length: 177.5 in Width: 63.4 in Height: 54.3 in Curb Weight: 2606 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 10.5 sec 1/4-Mile: 17.3 sec @ 77 mph 90 mph: 29.8 sec Top Speed (observed): 108 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 218 ft Roadholding: 0.75 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY City/Highway: 21/24 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

What Does It Cost To Charge a Tesla Monthly Compared To Gas for a BMW 3 Series?
What Does It Cost To Charge a Tesla Monthly Compared To Gas for a BMW 3 Series?

Yahoo

time17 hours ago

  • Yahoo

What Does It Cost To Charge a Tesla Monthly Compared To Gas for a BMW 3 Series?

Electric vehicles promise a lot, including lower emissions, less maintenance and high-end tech. But for everyday drivers, the real question is simpler: How much does it actually cost to run one? Not the sticker price or tax incentives. The monthly cost to keep it moving. Consider the Tesla Model 3 and the gas-powered BMW 3 Series, two well-known sedans with similar performance. One charges up, the other fills up. And when you break down the costs, the gap between them gets surprisingly wide. Check Out: Read Next: Charging a Tesla The Tesla Model 3 rear-wheel drive (RWD) has an EPA-estimated range of 272 miles and a usable battery capacity of 57.5 kilowatt hours (kWh), according to Green Cars Compare. This translates to an efficiency of about 4.61 miles per kWh under ideal conditions. Assuming an average monthly driving distance of 1,200 miles, the Tesla would use roughly 260 kWh of electricity each month. At the current U.S. average residential electricity rate of 17.45 cents per kWh, according to Choose Energy, monthly charging costs come to about $45.37. Using Tesla Superchargers or other public fast chargers, which typically cost between 40 and 60 cents per kWh, will raise the monthly cost accordingly if relied upon frequently. Discover More: How Long Does Charging Take? Charging time depends on how and where it's done, according to the Department of Transportation. Level 1 (120V outlet): Two to five miles of range per hour. A full charge could take 40 to 50 hours — only useful for very light driving. Level 2 (240V home charger): 10 to 20 miles per hour. Fully recharges in about 4 to 10 hours. Tesla Supercharger: A charge to 80% typically takes 20 minutes to an hour, and adds 180 to 240 miles. Fuel Cost for a BMW 3 Series A 2025 BMW 330i averages around 31 miles per gallon combined, according to Edmunds. Driving 1,200 miles per month means buying about 38.7 gallons of gas. At $3.16 per gallon, the national average as of July 2025, that works out to $122.41 per month. Charging a Tesla Model 3 RWD at home costs about $45 per month, while fueling a BMW 3 Series averages around $122 per month. That's $77 in monthly savings, or $924 annually, just on energy expenses if you choose the Tesla over the BMW. Cost Per Mile Tesla: Uses about 0.22 kWh per mile, with a cost of $0.1745 per kWh. This comes out to roughly 3.8 cents per mile. BMW 3 Series: With gas prices around $3.16 per gallon and an average fuel economy of 31 miles per gallon, the cost comes to about 10 cents per mile. Other Cost Considerations Electric vehicles like the Tesla avoid many routine maintenance expenses common to gas cars, such as no oil changes, no spark plugs and no emissions tests. Regenerative braking also extends brake life, reducing replacement frequency. BMW owners typically face higher maintenance and repair costs, especially as the vehicle ages, along with fluctuating fuel prices that can spike unexpectedly. In contrast, electricity prices tend to be more stable and predictable. More From GOBankingRates 25 Places To Buy a Home If You Want It To Gain Value This article originally appeared on What Does It Cost To Charge a Tesla Monthly Compared To Gas for a BMW 3 Series? 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤

2015 BMW 3-Series Wagon on Bring a Trailer Is Built to M3 Spec
2015 BMW 3-Series Wagon on Bring a Trailer Is Built to M3 Spec

Car and Driver

timea day ago

  • Car and Driver

2015 BMW 3-Series Wagon on Bring a Trailer Is Built to M3 Spec

BMW never built an M3 wagon for the North American market. Here's one anyway. Virtually OEM inside and out, it's the hot Munich longroof we all wished for. This car is CARB certified and fully approved by California's Bureau of Automotive Repair. BMW's decision to bring the wagon version of the current M5 to this side of the Atlantic probably doesn't make a lot of sense to the company's accountants, but it's great for the fans. Uber-fast sedans are great, but there's something cooler about a wagon variant. It's a shame Bimmer didn't do the same with the M3. Bring a Trailer But wait, Bavarian sports wagon fans! Here's a 2015 BMW 328i xDrive wagon, fully converted to F80-series M3 specification, and it's up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). It's got the twin-turbo inline-six, the wider track with fenders and bumper covers, and best of all, a six-speed manual transmission so you can row your own gears while you laminate a labradoodle to the back window. Bring a Trailer Conversions can be hit or miss sometimes, but this one looks like it was factory-built in Munich. The exterior and mechanical upgrades are all OEM, and the interior of the M3 has been largely swapped over as well. It's got CARB approval, certification by the sometimes fussy California Bureau of Automotive Repair, and a modest 63K miles on the odometer. Bring a Trailer The M3 donor car was a Competition package model, which means the S55 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six makes a hearty 444 horsepower. Formerly equipped with BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive, it's now rear-wheel drive with a limited-slip differential, and fitted with M3 subframes and chassis bracing. Bring a Trailer The car rides on M3 Competition-spec 20-inch wheels, fitted with Michelin tires, and the suspension and brakes are also M3 grade. The only aftermarket addition appears to be a set of KW height-adjustable springs. A 328i wagon of this generation is a pretty likable car all by itself, and as BMW no longer sends the touring version of the 3-series to North America, they're holding their value well. This car gets you something unique, all the firepower of a proper M3, but with extra carrying capacity and cool factor. For the winning bidder on this auction, the fact that BMW never built an M3 wagon for the U.S. market isn't a drawback but a bonus. Bimmer fans are going to go nuts when you roll up in it at your local German car show. The auction ends on July 30. Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store