Despite being an open secret for several days, pulling the sheet off the BMW Concept Speedtop still likely evoked one or two gasps. Powertrains and underpinnings remain largely the same between the two, and the BMW Concept Speedtop clearly borrows some cues from the closely related Skytop. But there’s plenty that’s different. Placing the two side-by-side, we can see exactly what the shooting brake does differently.
Front and Side Comparison
The front bumpers of both the Skytop and Speedtop are identical — no perceptible changes here. Same goes for the lighting. The side mirrors of the production Skytop appear to be more “M shaped” than the Speedtop — note the little aerodynamic nubs on the near side of the mirror pointing toward the vehicle. However, the Skytop Concept vehicle had mirrors identical to the Speedtop, so it’s possible that will change for the Speedtop’s production run.
Along the side of the cars, several small tweaks become apparent. For one, the Speedtop has a wider Hofmeister kink. Which makes sense, as the Speedtop has a fixed roof. The 14-spoke wheels on the BMW Concept Speedtop are also unique to the model. They’re a bit sportier looking than the 12-spoke alloys on the Skytop. There’s also a smaller gap between the fender and wheels, but we’re not sure if that’s because of suspension geometry changes or not. As a result of some obvious changes and some very subtle tweaks, the two look quite a bit different from the side.
Rear and Roof Comparison
Around back, the Skytop and Speedtop have identical decklids and lighting, with matching dual exhaust tips poking out the back. The Speedtop touts a roof-mounted spoiler missing from the Skytop, for obvious reasons. However, the accent piece rising out of the center of the Skytop’s rear is clearly referenced in the BMW Concept Speedtop; the roof’s sharply divided for a sort of “double-bubble” look. In fact, the line runs the length of both cars, from the hood back.
Interior
Both BMWs get iDrive 7 and a smaller, split screen setup that we sorely miss from some production models. Upholstery in the BMW Concept Speedtop is a two-tone brown and white, different from the single-color brown we saw in the Skytop Concept. The Concept Speedtop opts for white — a bold choice — for the floormats, door cards, seats, and lower half of the center console. The Speedtop also has cool accent lighting inside that mirrors the roof split design. It likely goes without saying, but the Speedtop will have a bit more cabin space behind the driver and passenger than the open-top model. The leather-covered trunk and bespoke storage areas — designed to fit specific, Schedoni-crafted leather luggage — are also unique to Speedtop.
The final difference? BMW offered Skytop in a limited production run of just 50 units. The Speedtop carries that tradition on, kind of. BMW reckons they can sell a few more, as 70 Speedtops will leave the production line. Surprisingly, we aren’t on the list, and we have a feeling BMW has already got all of them sold. So if you weren’t on the list either, it’s likely too late.
