After its release almost four years ago, BMW finally unveiled its upcoming version of the i8 top-class mid-range luxury engine. The company introduced the new BMW i8 Roadster at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in 2017.
Originally introduced by the BMW i8 Concept Spyder since 2012, the new i8 Roadster is essentially a vehicle prepared for sale at your local dealerships. Along with the new i8, the Roadster is an updated coupe that shows changes in power and transmission, as well as updates to the interior and exterior.
What’s new about the BMW i8 Roadster and Coupe?
In particular, the BMW i8 Roadster is equipped with a folding top with a hinged lid that opens and closes in less than 16 seconds. It can also work on the go at speeds of up to 31 miles per hour. Unfortunately, another 132 pounds is added to the weight of the i8. And for a car that focuses on its lightweight construction, this can make a huge difference. Although BMW promises that the i8 roadster works just like a coupe, thanks to some additional power, suspension and chassis settings.
The rest of the roadster is identical to the coupe, it presents an updated version of the power and transmission BMW eDrive. The output power is increased by 12 horsepower compared to the original system, which adds up to 369 horses.
It starts with the BMW TwinPower three-cylinder three-cylinder gas engine with 228 hp turbocharging. and 236 Nm. It is then connected to an electric motor providing an additional 141 horses. The result is 0-60 times, just 4.4 seconds for the roadster and 4.2 seconds for the coupe, both of which are electronically limited to 155 mph. When operating in the all-electric ECO PRO model, both i8s can travel at full electric power at speeds of up to 75 mph.
There is also a new high-voltage battery that improves the EV capabilities of the i8. With more power, its rated power increases from 20 to 34 ampere-hours, almost doubling the total power from 7.1. up to 11.6 kilowatt hours. As a result, the rated power of the electric motor jumped by 12 hp. Compared to the original i8 with 129 hp
There are some new colors and interior bits as well
To keep the i8 fresh, the company introduced two new exterior colors, E-Copper and Donnington Gray. Complementing the exterior of the E-Copper is the new Tera World Copper, while all models benefit from changes in the way their carbon-fiber interior is presented. BMW also introduced some new wheel designs to the i8 Coupe and Roadster, all of which are 20-inches by dimension.
Pricing and sales details weren’t published just yet, though we expected those to surface sometime in the near-future.
-Jack Wilson
