BMW has officially launched its Concept Skytop design study, which will join the M Hybrid V8 art car showcased at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. The Concept Skytop is a two-door, two-seater with a targa roof and is powered by the 617 hp twin-turbo V8 from the BMW M8 Competition.

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BMW Concept Skytop

The Concept Skytop is probably one of the best designs we’ve seen from BMW in a decade. It features well-proportioned kidney grilles with the return of the company’s classic shark nose. The front end is not streamlined due to the unnecessarily fussy air vents seen in most modern cars, and the top-down view is almost speedboat-like in its silhouette.

Like last year’s well-received Neue Klasse sedan concept, there’s more than a hint of history in the design. Returning to its roots, the BMW references the Z8 (which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year) as well as the BMW 503.

There’s a bit of Aston Martin in the rear three-quarters, which is no bad thing, while the aluminum trim located on the trunk lid acts as a kind of central spine that extends through the hood and interior.

The paint job is actually a gradient that was created by one of BMW’s most experienced master painters. At the rear, the reddish-brown color of the roof flows into muted silver with a chrome shadow effect on the exterior paintwork.

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Look even closer, and you’ll notice that the traditional door handles are gone, replaced by individual winglets. Sticking to those details, BMW says the LED lights are some of the thinnest units around, having been custom made for the concept.

Although a Targa, the rear window can be fully retracted for an open-air experience. The roof itself – which is made of leather, in case you were wondering – is divided into two parts. There are no fancy mechanisms here, but there is at least space within a special compartment where they can be kept. Step inside, and you’ll find that it’s not just the ceiling that’s leather, with cowhide covering most of the surfaces in a reddish brown colour.

Although officially an homage to the Z8, the fact that the engine is name checked by the M8 Competition makes us think there’s more of the 8-Series lurking beneath that bodywork. While the future of BMW’s grand tourer has been cast in doubt, if this is the direction the next generation is to take, sign us up!

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