BMW was all set to launch the new i8 Roadster in mid-2018, and the day is coming closer. On Tuesday, BMW confirmed the pricing of their much awaited hybrid sports convertible, which will be sold as a 2019 model.
The 2019 BMW i8 Roadster will be priced at $164,295 when it launches in spring 2018. This makes it the most expensive BMW you can buy in the US. The Coupe, on the other hand, will cost $148,495 including destination. Both cars get heated front seats, Apple CarPlay compatibility, premium audio system, navigation, head-up display and adaptive suspension as standard equipment, along with leather upholstery and 20-inch wheels.
There is only one optional trim available called Tera World package. For $2,500 extra on your Roadster or $3,700 on the Coupe, you get leather engine cover, black brake calipers, ceramic knobs, blue seatbelts and brown leather. You can also opt for laser headlights in place of the stock headlights for an additional $6,300. The i8 Roadster will get a First Edition trim level priced at $174,090, but it is as yet unclear what features it will offer.
The BMW i8 is a little different in the looks department as compared to the Coupe. It gets a revised engine cover, which is seamlessly incorporated along with the vertical rear window behind the cabin. Two new cowls flank the engine cover, flowing into the rear wing of the car. The Roadster also gets frameless doors, unlike the Coupe.
Both the i8 twins get the same powertrain, a combination of a 1.5-liter inline three petrol engine and an electric motor. the combined output of the i8s has increased to 369 hp, a gain of 7 units over the previous model year. The all-electric driving range has increased from 24 km to 29 km. The designers of the Roadster cleverly worked around the extra 60 kilos it has to lug around by revising and updating the chassis, resulting in an identical 4.3-second time to 100 kph.
Although it is a bit of a mystery as to why BMW would take seven years to launch a car, which it had showcased in NAIAS New York 2012. But now that it's close to its launch, we are certainly not complaining. Bring it on, BMW!
