Lately, you never know what to expect from a new BMW design. The monolithic XM SUV and the gaping maw of the G80 M3 were certainly divisive at launch (although we’ve grown rather fond of the latter), while the stunning Z4-based Touring Coupé concept revealed at last year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este was almost universally loved. Now, it seems BMW’s design team are returning to form at Lake Como once again with this: the amazing Skytop concept.

At first glance, the Skytop appears to preview the design language of the next-generation 8 Series, but peer closer and you’ll see the influences of BMW’s previous hits, like the Z8 and 503. This is a grand tourer in the traditional sense, and BMW state that the Skytop was “designed to inspire a desire to travel.” Unlike the current 8 Series Convertible, the Skytop adopts a Targa-style roof configuration, featuring a leather-clad roll over bar and fully retractable rear window. The split removable roof, also finished in leather, can be stored in a special compartment for open sky bliss, perfect for the stunning locales like Lake Como that would be the Skytop’s natural hunting ground.

Compared to BMW’s bombastic recent designs, the Skytop adopts a more minimalist aesthetic, with the door handles being integrated into the window trim, while the ultra-slim headlights were custom-designed to consolidate all lighting functions into a single unit, declutterring the front end. However, the Skytop certainly isn’t lacking in flair, thanks to the illuminated (and relatively small) kidney grilles and the pronounced spline that runs the length of the car, splitting the bonnet, continuing into the interior, and extending to the aluminium trim on the tailgate.

Inside, the Skytop appears impressively production-ready, boasting a sea of rich, reddish brown leather than continues into the roof. Thanks to the painstaking work of an experienced master painter at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, this colour scheme blends onto the rear deck and into the silver bodywork with an elaborate colour gradient. We’ve seen this gradiated paintwork before on the Lamborghini Sian among others, but this particular application appears far more successful to our eye.

Of course, no grand tourer is complete without an intoxicating power plant, and BMW says the Skytop is equipped with “the most powerful V8 engine in the BMW drive train portfolio.” While there’s no word on a production version, BMW enthusiasts can at least look forward to the next 8 Series inheriting some of the gorgeous Skytop’s good genes.