Ever since BMW confirmed it would build the Skytop, an interesting question has arisen: What happens when it rains? This is a valid concern considering the concept’s roof was wrapped in leather. However, this will not be the case with the 50 cars that will go to customers. A company source tells us that the production-ready Skytop’s roof is covered in a leather-like material.
The decision might seem like a downgrade for a car that reportedly costs €500,000. However, from a usability perspective, it makes sense. Everyone knows that leather and water do not mix and the roof could easily be damaged on a rainy day. Sooner rather than later, moisture would have caused the leather to become stiff, brittle and ultimately crack.
The best compromise is to switch to a synthetic material while maintaining the leather look as much as possible. As with the concept, the production-ready Skytop has two manually removable targa panels. If owners want the open-air experience, the two pieces fit in the trunk. It is a completely different roof structure than the electrically folding top of the M8 Cabrio. Another obvious change is the elimination of rear seats.
BMW told us that the customer Skytop is almost identical to the concept, apart from the roof and the additional parking sensors. More than 95 percent of the show car shown at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2024 has been adopted into the production version. Deliveries to customers began last October and the car had long been sold out.
Its shooting brake brother, the Speedtop, was also an immediate success. The striking two-door station wagon from BMW will be produced in a larger number of 70 units. Likewise, all of them are already taken. The Ultimate Touring is also based on the M8 and had a similar (if not identical) price, rumored to be around half a million euros. Production is scheduled to begin towards the end of 2026, and once the last Speedtop is built, we will effectively say goodbye to the 8 Series.
Interesting fact: The Skytop and Speedtop are the first models from BMW to feature a redesigned door handle that is discreetly embedded in the beltline. The first production vehicle equipped with it will hit the market later this year when the fifth-generation X5 (G65) breaks cover. Next year’s X7 (G67) will use the same subtle “winglets” under the side window.
