It’s been a very long time since BMW dared to flirt with the concept of a real taking pictures brake—because the head-turning, love-it-or-hate-it days of the Z3 M Coupe, affectionately dubbed the “Clown Shoe.” That automobile was half oddball, half genius, and it left a silhouette-shaped gap within the lineup for years. Right now, on the sun-drenched shores of Lake Como, that void is gloriously stuffed. Meet the BMW Idea Speedtop: a limited-run, three-door ode to driving ardour, unveiled on the 2025 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
Type Follows Flame
The Idea Speedtop takes the Touring ethos and reinterprets it by the lens of a design staff clearly of their golden hour. Think about an extended, low, three-door grand tourer with the heartbeat of a GT and the soul of a tremendous leather-based journey bag. Adrian van Hooydonk’s crew name it an “exclamation mark” within the lineup, however that undersells it—that is punctuation you’ll be able to hear rumble by your chest. The taking pictures brake profile is unmistakable, however in contrast to anything within the trendy automotive panorama.
The lengthy central backbone that traces from hood to spoiler carries over among the design cues from final yr’s Skytop idea, however right here it’s wrapped in a color-shifting cloak: a gradient from “Floating Sunstone Maroon” to “Floating Sunset Silver” that glows with heat twilight tones. The visible drama continues within the sculpted fenders, muscular rear haunches, and 14-spoke, two-tone wheels that wouldn’t look misplaced on a Pebble Seashore concours garden.
Craftsmanship, Not Mass Manufacturing
Inside, the Speedtop’s artisan leanings are on full show. This isn’t mere automotive luxurious; it’s rolling craftsmanship. The inside bathes its occupants in “Sunset Maroon” and “Moonstone White” leathers, stitched with brogue-style particulars that recall basic shoemaking greater than trendy dashboards. The headliner even carries the backbone motif ahead with an illuminated leather-based “beam” slicing by the cabin in refined symmetry with the outside. And sure, even the trunk is absolutely leather-lined and brogued.
However what actually units the Speedtop aside from different idea automobiles with champagne tastes is that it isn’t only a design research—it’s destined for the open street. Underneath the hood sits essentially the most highly effective V8 in BMW’s portfolio. That probably means the S68 twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, pumping out someplace north of 617 horsepower, backed by a chassis presumably tuned to the identical excessive commonplace as BMW’s M Efficiency division.
Constructed for the Few, Meant to Be Pushed
If the Skytop was the aperitif, the Speedtop is the primary course. BMW will construct simply 70 models, a transparent nod to exclusivity, and a wink to those that perceive the mix of rarity and sweetness. It’s not only a collector’s merchandise; it’s a press release. A automobile that proves BMW can nonetheless play within the area of interest corners of automotive design, the place ardour trumps practicality.
Additionally price noting is the collaboration with Italian leather-based masters Schedoni, who’ve hand-crafted bespoke baggage for the Speedtop. Two fitted luggage slot completely behind the seats, and an identical weekend duffel tucks neatly into the again. This isn’t only a automobile—it’s a journey companion, tailor-made in leather-based and stitched with velocity.
The Early Verdict
The BMW Idea Speedtop is a celebration. Of individuality. Of extra, in one of the simplest ways. Of the enjoyment that comes from constructing one thing that doesn’t need to exist—however ought to. For individuals who bemoan the model’s shift towards mainstreaming, right here is your rebuttal: a Z3 M Coupe non secular successor with extra class, extra horsepower, and extra swagger than anything on the street.
And like all nice issues from Munich’s fever dream manufacturing unit, blink and also you’ll miss it—as a result of solely 70 fortunate souls will get to name one their very own.
BMW Speedtop Gallery
