It’s official – production of the BMW i8 Coupe and Roadster will end in the middle of April 2020, six years after its introduction at the 2013 IAA Motor Show.
In its six-year lifetime, the BMW i8 has collected many accolades, including multiple car of the year awards, as well as the coveted “Engine of the Year Award“, winning five years in a row for the category it competed in.
According to BMW, the BMW i8 has also developed into the world’s most successful sports car with an electrified drive system, with more than 20,000 units sold since 2014 – higher sales than all competitors in its segment combined.
More importantly, the BMW i8 also helped paved the foundation for BMW Group’s now broad range of plug-in hybrid models, setting the course for 25 electrified models across the group by 2023 – of which half will be fully electric – rightfully earning its place in the company’s milestones.
The BMW i8 was a study of integrating dynamic driving pleasure with sustainability. Under the hood, a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine makes 231 hp and 320 Nm of torque, with power routed to the rear wheels.
The internal combustion engine is paired to an electric motor, sending an additional 143 hp to the front wheels for a total combined output of 369 hp and 570 Nm of torque.
Driving dynamics is handled by the BMW LifeDrive architecture, with its chassis made of aluminium (drive module) and carbon fibre reinforced plastic (passenger cell), the BMW i8 weighs less than 1,500 kg, and boasts a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
As a last hurrah, BMW is currently producing the 200-unit limited Ultimate Sophisto Edition of the i8 at the Leipzig assembly plant – one of which was manufactured in December 2019 as the 20,000th unit of the plug-in hybrid model.
Take a bow, BMW i8. You will be missed.
IMAGE GALLERY
