BMW returns to good form with the Skytop study on display at Villa d'Este

Lately, you never know what to expect from a new BMW design. The homophone “Este” was introduced with almost unanimous enthusiasm. Now it looks as if the BMW design team at Lake Como wants to follow suit and return to good form by studying the Skytop concept.

At first glance, the Skytop appears to offer a preview of the design language of the upcoming 8 Series, but upon closer inspection you can see influences from previous BMWs such as the Z8 and 503. What appears is a grand tourer with traditional styling with a BMW sound “aimed to awaken the desire to travel”. Unlike the current 8 Series convertible, the Skytop features a targa-style roof, with a leather-covered roll bar and a fully retractable rear window. The split roof, also covered in leather, can be removed, inserted and stored in a private compartment and then cruised outdoors – ideal for picturesque locations like Lake Como, which will be a natural hunting ground for the Skytop.

Compared to the flashy BMW designs of the recent past, the Skytop's aesthetic is simpler: the door handles are integrated into the window edge, and the ultra-slim headlights are designed to integrate all lighting functions into a single unit. Which visually clarifies and softens the front part in a shark nose style. However, the Skytop doesn't lack for flair, thanks to the illuminated (and relatively small) kidney surround and the clear strip that runs the entire length of the car, bisecting the bonnet, and extending into the interior, then now as a strip of aluminum, even into the trunk lid. What is unusual is the color gradient in the rear section, which picks up the interior color in the roll bar area with the low vertical rear window and transfers it to the paint on the body. We've already seen such a gradient paint on the Lamborghini Sian, among other cars, but this particular application looks more successful to us.

Inside, the Skytop looks pretty standard. It is lined up to the ceiling in reddish-brown leather, which is perforated on the sports seats and on the door panels. As is usual in BMW cars, the center console contains a crystal selector lever, a rotary pushbutton and other buttons.

Of course, no grand tourer would be complete without a suitable engine. At this point, BMW is only saying that the Skytop is equipped with “the most powerful V8 engine in BMW's current powertrain range.” Although there's no word on a production version yet, BMW fans can at least look forward to it and assume that the next 8 Series will inherit some good Skytop genes.