Even though the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is traditionally regarded as a stage for historically significant vehicles, many eyes are always particularly drawn to the automotive design visions that are presented as part of the prestigious festival of automotive culture. With this in mind, the BMW Group once again used the backdrop of Lake Como last weekend to present the Concept Speedtop—a car shaped between past, present and future, in a place where time itself is part of the design.
Photographed exclusively for Chapter by Lukas Magerl.
Building on last year’s Concept Skytop, which caused a sensation in 2024, BMW now follows up with the Concept Speedtop—or even raises the bar, as many enthusiastic guests at the Villa d’Este premiere remarked. The two-seater Shooting Brake, which builds on the design language of the 2024 Coupé but develops its very own strong character, is a true masterpiece of exclusivity and elegance.
The silhouette—stretched, flowing, sportily proportioned—spans from the elongated hood to the flowing roofline and the strikingly athletic rear. The colour gradient on the roof from »Floating Sunstone Maroon« to »Floating Sundown Silver« further emphasizes the exciting lines.
The pronounced V-shape of the front in sharknose design, which already characterized the Concept Skytop, including narrow front lights and illuminated kidney grille, is particularly unusual. Two-tone, 14-spoke fan-shaped rims specially designed for the BMW Concept Speedtop also emphasize the special elegance of the vehicle.
The interior of the Concept Speedtop features a sophisticated two-tone color and material concept. As befits a special model at this level of exclusivity, all interior surfaces are upholstered in high-quality, handcrafted leather. Leather in »Sundown Maroon« on the dashboard, the center console and the upper door panels as well as leather in »Moonstone White« on the seats and doors also create a link between the exterior and interior.
Instead of the rear seats, the BMW Concept Speedtop offers storage options with leather straps for travel bags, which can kindly be supplied made to measure: In collaboration with the traditional Italian manufacturer Schedoni—known for the production of high-quality leather goods by hand—these were manufactured and refined exclusively for the Concept Speedtop.
»A genuine BMW radiates dynamism and elegance even when stationary«, emphasizes Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. Consequently, what the design language of the exterior—and not least the model name—suggests is also accordingly realized under the hood of this vehicle: The Concept Speedtop is equipped with the currently most powerful V8 in the BMW Group’s drive portfolio.
And speaking of speed: following the Skytop, which was limited to 50 units, a series of 70 Concept Speedtop models is now being produced. The order books were opened—so it was heard on the shores of Lake Como—right at the premiere. And it was also said that they were probably already largely filled by the same weekend. Discreetly, of course — like everything in and around the Villa d’Este. [CS]
