BMW has just taken the covers off its pretty dramatic Concept Speedtop at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Italy, and announced that just 70 of these cars are available to buy. The model is styled like a shooting brake and is a hard swerve away from what most of its models in its current line-up look like although there are some similarities with the Concept Skytop model shown at the same venue last year. That model was had a limited run of 50.
The official announcement from the German luxury car manufacturer has been quite sketchy about details. For one, it hasn’t officially announced the price, but guesstimates by the automotive press put the tag at somewhere around half a million euros, which is around the price that last year’s Skytop is reported to have sold for.
The Concept Skytop is important in the context of the Concept Speedtop in many ways. For one, they share the same underpinnings, the front end, and lots of similar lines even up to the B-pillar. However, unlike the Skytop, which was a convertible, the Speedtop has a fixed roof and a different rear end.
BMW has also not clearly announced exactly what the powertrain would be. All it says is: “Most powerful V8 in the portfolio and limited-run small series: The concept car’s engine ensures it scales the heights not only in terms of design, but also performance. It is fitted with the most powerful V8 engine currently offered by BMW.”
Going by the fact that it would be an existing power plant, one would expect that it would get a 617hp, approximately 750Nm twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 with an eight-speed automatic transmission sending power to all wheels. This seems to be the same unit that powers the BMW M8 Competition Coupe, which hits 100kmph from standstill in a little over 3 seconds. If it is the same powertrain in the same state of tune that is going into the Concept Speedtop, performance should be sprightly, if not as quick as the M8 Competiton Coupe.
The front end has a V-line and a shark nose highlighted by sleek headlamps and an illuminated grille
But more than anything else, the Concept Speedtop seems to be an exercise in luxurious grand touring for two people. Says BMW: “Two storage areas with leather straps behind the seats provide space for two of Schedoni’s made-to-measure bags. The bags were designed exclusively for the Concept to fit in with its colour and material concept. A matching weekend bag can also be accommodated in the trunk.” Schedoni is a traditional Italian manufacturer of exclusive and high-quality leather goods by hand, especially in the automotive sector.
The interior is in two-tone leather, for the the linings, seats, the trunk. Illumination in the passenger compartment and the trunk is by indirect light beam.
As for the exterior, the pronounced V-shape of the front end, with its shark-nose design, the slim front lights and the illuminated kidney grille give the BMW Concept Speedtop an unmistakable identity. The continuation of the central spline from the bonnet over the roof to the rear spoiler gives the car a dynamic touring profile. The roof also has a colour gradient that moves from maroon to silver. The car is wide and low and looks like it is meant to be quick.
The rear end clearly has a BMW look although everything is sleeker. There is a distinctive two-tone treatment to the roof as well
“The BMW Concept Speedtop is characterised first of all by its profile. It is very unique in the automotive industry. In this way, we have created an exclamation mark for our entire lineup of vehicles, especially for the Touring models,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design. Amen to that.