BMW Skytop concept heading for production
BMW’s sleek M8-based V8 targa set for limited production run, possibly with the Z8 nameplateThe stunning new 2024 BMW Concept Skytop is heading for production in small numbers as early as next year, possibly with the BMW Z8 nameplate.
According to senior executives, the sleek BMW M8-based drop-top was always designed with production in mind.
Speaking to Autocar, BMW design director Adrian van Hooydonk said: “The headlamps, the tail-lights, they’re new. They’re as slim as we could possibly make them. But we know they could be homologated.
“If we do it, I think we should do it in a very limited production. Very limited. Like we did with 3.0 CSL. We made 50 pieces of that.
“Then I think that would make some sense. Then it becomes a dream car. Maybe an instant classic. There’s no need to turn it into a big series-production car.
“We could deliver within a year if we were to go that way.”
Amid unconfirmed reports that the Skytop has already been green-lit for production, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel also said that if there was enough demand, the car could be built.
“I think the demand is quite high, so probability [of production] is quite high,” he said.
“We’ll see over the next few weeks if that interest translates into purchasing orders.
“The probability is there. It shows we always want to try new things and see if there is a demand. Even though we’re a big company, it’s not the main purpose to build a small series.
“But if you listen to your customers and they say every now and then to do something like this and we do it – I think it’s a nice gesture to show that we are not only into let’s say the cars we build every day, but we can also do something special if demand is there.”
The new Concept Skytop draws from the BMW Z8, which ran from 1998 to 2003, as well as the 1956 BMW 503.
Standout features include flying buttresses that run from the B-pillar to the Kamm-style tail. The concept also features twin tailpipes, ultra-thin LED tail-lights and a removable leather roof.
Lurking beneath the bonnet is the BMW M8 Competition’s twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 that should produce at least the same 460kW and 740Nm of torque, easily enough for 0-100km/h acceleration of around 3.0 seconds.
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