Article Summary
- The Speedtop is an M8 turned into a two-door wagon with only two seats.
- It uses BMW's most powerful non-electrified V8 engine in history.
- Production is limited to 70 units, all of which have already been sold for an unconfirmed 500,000 euros.
People have mixed feelings about BMW’s design language of the early 2020s. Nevertheless, many seem to agree the Speedtop is among the company’s best work in recent years. It’s already been a year since the two-door wagon broke cover at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, yet production still hasn’t started. An M8 transformed into a two-seat shooting brake, the ultra-exclusive Touring has now been spotted stretching its legs at the Nürburgring.
How exclusive? We know for a fact that BMW is building only 70 cars. Unsurprisingly, all of them have been pre-sold. While pricing remains unconfirmed, insiders have told us the Speedtop changed hands for €500,000. If our sources are correct, the gorgeous wagon carried roughly the same price tag as the Skytop. The latter came out in 2024 as a targa-topped M8 with an even smaller production run of just 50 units. These are the most expensive BMWs ever, topped only by the 3.0 CSL, which is said to have cost €750,000.
It’s unclear why BMW even bothered camouflaging the test car. After all, the Speedtop will look almost identical to the concept that previewed it. If it’s anything like the Skytop, the production version will barely change, aside from the addition of sensors and whatnot. All 70 cars are expected to feature the same design, minus the camouflage, of course. The wagons destined for BMW’s wealthiest customers will likely retain the concept’s elegant two-tone 14-spoke wheels, a design not shared with any other model.
BMW Speedtop Has A Pure V8 Engine
The spy footage captured by car paparazzi shows that even low-volume models based on existing cars must undergo the same rigorous track testing as regular BMWs. It’s highly unlikely any future Speedtop owner will ever drive the car this hard around the Nordschleife. This prototype featured a roll cage in the back, but needless to say, it won’t make it to the production version.
The Speedtop uses a V8 engine, but not BMW’s newer S68 found in M Performance and full-fat M models. Instead, it sticks with the older S63, a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter unit from the previous generation that skips electrification entirely. The engine is borrowed from the now-defunct M8 Competition, where it produced 617 horsepower. However, this likely won’t be the brand’s last pure-V8 model, as we know next year’s confirmed eight-cylinder M Performance 7 Series won’t be a plug-in hybrid either.
Hopefully, this won’t be the last time we see the Speedtop. Given the car’s rarity and eye-watering asking price, owners will probably be reluctant to put many miles on them. Even so, it’s only a matter of time before one shows up in affluent hotspots like Monaco.
