Photos: BMW unveils sleek Concept Skytop convertible

BMW AG unveiled the Concept Skytop at the Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance on the shore of Lake Como, Italy.

In one major way, the car is unlike the ultra-modern models BMW has lately revealed at auto shows in Asia, such as the 100 per cent electric Neue Klasse SUV (above).

In a bit of nostalgia for internal combustion, the open-top two-seater is equipped with BMW's most powerful V-8 engine, the company says.

BMW has been increasingly focused on electric vehicles, which comprised 15 per cent of its deliveries last year and are projected to hit 20 per cent this year, when it expects to sell half a million EVs from 15 different models across its brands.

Skytop's combustion engine fits right in at the BMW-sponsored lakeside event, which celebrates classic cars.

It incorporates elements from the company's past designs: A sharklike front and roadster style resemble the plucky Z8 produced from 1998 to 2003.

The simplicity of the single line along its sides recalls the tiny rounded 503 of the 1950s, which was BMW's first postwar sports coupe.

It looks like a car BMW could already produce. Small tabs integrated into the sides of each door are used in lieu of conventional door handles.

A retracted rear section includes a leather-finished roll-bar behind the seats. And a retractable rear window adds to the sense of wide-open space in the cockpit.

But despite the public fanfare at the glamorous location, it's still being determined whether and how the Concept Skytop would translate into a production model.