BMW Design Boss Teases One-Off Concept For Villa d’Este

Domagoj Dukec, Head of BMW Design, has taken to Instagram to provide the first real teaser of a new creation that will be revealed at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. BMW has previously confirmed that the same event will play host to the reveal of the 20th official BMW art car, a new motorcycle, and a “sporty one-of-a-kind with a maritime twist,” and we suspect that the latter is this new concept being teased by BMW’s design boss. Absolutely no details were provided, with the caption simply saying that “the sky is the limit.” This could indicate an open top, but the solitary teaser image suggests there may not be anywhere to put the roof. Let’s take a closer look.

Potential Targa Roof

The rose gold coloring of the paint is clearly meant to evoke luxury, so we doubt that this will be presented with a focus on high performance. Instead, like the one-off Concept Touring Coupe revealed at last year’s event, this is likely to be a design exercise, and as such, the idyllic setting of Lake Como’s western shore is apt. BMW wants to turn the event into its own Monterey Car Week, and that can only happen with spectacular reveals.

The image shows a curved rear deck, much like you’d find in a mid-engine car, with no apparent shutlines for a folding roof. This suggests a targa-style removable roof panel, but it’s still too early to be sure, and a canvas top may be fitted. What we are sure of is a two-door body and mirrors that appear to be production-ready. Given that high-end buyers value sensations and experiences, not ridiculous EV outputs, we doubt that an electric powertrain will be fitted.

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BMW Z8 Of The Future?

BMW Group Classic will celebrate 25 years of the BMW Z8 Roadster at Villa d’Este, with an earlier announcement stating that the “legendary roadster will feature at the Concorso in a variety of ways.” Again, we’re only dealing with a single teaser image for now, but the shape of the mirror, the existence of a roof, and that flat rear deck all suggest that this new creation will look forward, not backward. We’ll have to wait for additional information before we speculate anymore, but yet another one-off creation from BMW indicates a strong desire to start moving the brand further upmarket. The Concept Touring Coupe is not expected to reach production despite the rapturous applause that followed its reveal, but perhaps this one will be different. The 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este kicks off on May 24, so a reveal should happen before the week is out.

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