UPDATE: BMW Group Head of Design Adrian van Hooydonk has shared a new teaser image, reinforcing our suspicion of a Skytop-based coupe/shooting brake.
It’s been over a month since BMW promised a new one-off car. We’ll finally see the mysterious vehicle at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este later this week. In the meantime, teaser images are making the rounds on social media, prompting fans to try to unlock the mystery. We’re only told it’s a “dynamic, elegant, exotic” car, but one detail could betray its identity.
A close-up of the rear shows dual strips of thin LEDs, one shorter than the other, serving as taillights. Look familiar? Pictured below, last year’s Skytop concept had a similar rear light design. Although BMW has yet to show the production version, these teasers are unlikely to preview a road-going model. After all, the German luxury brand said it would unveil a new concept rather than a rehash of an existing showcar.
BMW describes the new one-of-a-kind model as an “elegantly sporting one-off designed to provide motoring pleasure for two.” Assuming it’s related to the Skytop, what could it be? We’re noticing the same electrically operated winglets built into the beltline to open the doors. Another teaser shows a sharply angled tailgate with a large roof spoiler. That doesn’t look like a convertible, does it?
Another droptop model wouldn’t make much sense, so we’re leaning toward something with a fixed roof. We’d be curious to see a coupe version of an already gorgeous car. A more practical shooting brake would be equally exciting. It would help heal the wounds after the Z4 M40i-based Concept Touring Coupe wasn’t greenlit for production.
If BMW is doing a second version of the Skytop, it could be the last hurrah for the 8 Series. A coupe or shooting brake would likely be based on the M8 Coupe, which has already been pulled from the U.S. market. The Skytop concept has since evolved into a 50-unit production car, so here’s hoping a fixed-roof counterpart also gets the thumbs-up from Munich executives. The targa-topped stunner was an instant success and could’ve encouraged the higher-ups to approve a follow-up derivative. Fingers crossed.
The 2025 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este kicks off Friday, May 23, so the wait is almost over.
