BMW Speedtop vs Skytop: Which One Would You Buy If You Had $500K?
Here’s my thesis, upfront: if I had $500,000 to spend on a modern BMW indulgence, I’d buy the Speedtop — not because the Skytop isn’t gorgeous, but because the Speedtop is the more “BMW” BMW. It’s the one that turns nostalgia into something you can actually use, the one that carries the brand’s weird, wonderful Touring DNA into the present, and the one that feels like a statement about what BMW still understands: the sweet spot between emotion and function.
And yes — before anyone says it — this is a ridiculous problem to have. Half a million dollars for what is essentially a hand-finished, ultra-limited, M8-based love letter? It’s peak modern car culture. But that’s also why this debate is worth having. Because if BMW is going to build rolling sculpture for the one-percent of the one-percent, it should still mean something for the identity of the brand the rest of us live with.
So: Skytop or Speedtop — which one would you buy if you had $500K? I’ve got my answer. But I’ll also make the case for the other side, because it deserves it.
The Skytop Dilemma: The Romantic Object
I can already hear the counterargument — because it’s strong. The Skytop is the more romantic object. It’s open-top, more jewel-like, and drenched in a signature color you won’t find on any current BMW lot. BMW even positions it as a tribute to iconic roadsters like the 507 and the Z8, which tells you exactly what emotion they’re selling: heritage, glamour, and that slightly irrational feeling you get when a car looks too good to be real.
BMW is leaning hard into that aura: the Skytop is capped at 50 units, full stop. And it isn’t just pretty — it’s backed by proper muscle, reportedly using the 617-hp twin-turbo V8 from the M8 Competition, the kind of powertrain that makes a big GT feel like it has a private afterburner.
If your definition of “$500K BMW” is the ultimate lakefront fantasy, the Skytop is basically a gaming cheat code. It’s designed to be photographed at golden hour and driven like you’re starring in your own short film. The top is part of the theatre; the whole point is exposure — to the sky, to the sound, to the occasion.
But here’s where I start to resist the Skytop — and where the Speedtop begins to win me over.
Why The Speedtop
At $500K, you’re not buying transportation. You’re buying a statement.
This is not a rational purchase. Period. And when you frame it that way, the Speedtop has the sharper argument: it’s the one that doesn’t just look like a dream — it behaves like one you can actually live with. It has a shooting brake silhouette, a luggage-focused rear and quite practical. It’s limited to 70 units, which still puts it deep into unicorn territory, but also suggests BMW understands the demand for a slightly more usable kind of exotic. And like the Skytop, the Speedtop is also anchored by a V8.
“Dream” vs “Dream You’d Actually Use”
When I look at Speedtop vs Skytop, I don’t just see two gorgeous toys. I see two different versions of BMW’s soul:
- Skytop is BMW as romantic design house: the 507/Z8 lineage, pure indulgence, the car as art object.
- Speedtop is BMW as enthusiast brand: slightly quirky, weird in the best way, yet functional— the Shooting Brake spirit turned into a collector’s piece.
So if you live in a constant sunny area, then the Skytop would be the most obvious choice. It’s a sexy and refined as the Speedtop, it’s even more limited – by 20 units – and it’s the one that opened the doors for BMW highly-limited editions. In the end, you can’t go wrong with either choice, but if money no object, it would be the Speedtop for me. While BMW has plenty of open-tops, the Shooting Brakes are far more rare and in an era of SUVs and stretched out limousines this one will certainly stands out.
Which One Would You Buy?
But what about you — Skytop or Speedtop? Would you take the open-top romance and that one-of-one vibe, or the shooting-brake swagger and the promise of a weekend you actually use?
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
