It’s fair to say the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, a celebration of exquisite vehicles on the shores of Lake Como, is one of BMW’s favourite grounds. In 2023, the Concept Touring Coupe, inspired by the infamous Z3 M Coupe (often derided as the ‘clown shoe’), was revealed, while 2024 saw the unveiling of the stunning Skytop. The 2025 show brought another stylish Bavarian shooting brake, in the form of the new BMW Speedtop.
Hmm… That Design Looks Familiar
It’s unsurprising that such a good-looking car is based on the undeniably handsome M8. The Speedtop’s appearance has clearly been devised from the aforementioned Skytop, which itself drew inspiration from the Z8.
Like the Skytop, incredibly slim front lights and a ‘shark-nose’ face are present, while a central spline running from the bonnet to the rear spoiler features on both the roadster and the shooting brake. Broad hips and no shortage of creases contribute to the muscular, dynamic aesthetic.
On top, the roof features a colour gradient, moving from ‘Floating Sunstone Maroon’ to ‘Floating Sundown Silver’, while the two-tone theme continues with the choice of bespoke 14-spoke wheels. At the rear, thin lights are also present, and the rather blank design leads the mind to draw parallels to the Z3 M Coupe.
High in Quality, But Not in Drama
While the interior looks like it’s been lifted directly from an 8 Series and plonked straight into BMW’s latest scarcely produced vehicle, there has been a focus on the use of high-quality materials. Brogue-style details accompany the two-tone leather, with ‘Sundown Maroon’ contrasted by the far lighter ‘Moonstone White’ that adorns the seats and lower half of the cabin.
The roof spline is represented inside in the form of a light beam in the two-tone leather headliner. Behind the front two seats lies a storage area, while the boot is illuminated and features the same leather and brogue-esque perforations as the rest of the interior. This storage area is complete with bespoke bags from Schedoni, while a matching weekend bag can fit in the boot.
Exclusive Car, Pretty Common Engine
Like many M cars and now some Land Rover products, the BMW Speedtop is equipped with a V8 engine. Which V8? The ‘most powerful V8 engine currently offered by BMW’. In other words, the only current BMW V8, the 4.4-litre twin-turbo unit.
In the Skytop, this engine outputs 625 bhp, powering it to 60mph in 3.3 seconds. Given that the Speedtop is likely heavier, expect this figure to be slightly higher for the shooting brake.
After ‘great enthusiasm among connoisseurs and automotive enthusiasts’, it was announced that 50 examples of the Skytop would be produced. BMW has jumped the gun for its latest limited-run car, revealing that only 70 Speedtops will be made.
As the M8 Competition starts at £145k and the Skytop reportedly costs around £400,000, the BMW Speedtop will set buyers back a pretty penny. It’s now available to order, so now’s your chance to convince BMW to sell you one – if all 70 haven’t been snapped up already.
