New BMW i8 Coupe and Roadster unveiled

The new BMW i8 Roadster and Coupe will impress with a longer range.

The new BMW i8 Roadster and Coupe will impress with a longer range.

The BMW i8 Roadster and Coupe are a stylish addition to the carmaker’s line-up and they’ve hailed the i8 as the ‘sports car of the future’.

Indeed, it’s been the bestselling hybrid sports car in the world since it was unveiled in 2014.

And it helps too that the firm’s eDrive technology has been improved to deliver a longer range and the car now delivers emissions of less than 50g/km.

Among the attractions is an all-electric roof that will open and close while travelling at up to 31 mph within 16 seconds.

BMW i8 Roadster delivers near silent acceleration

To boost its attractiveness, the new BMW i8 Roadster delivers near silent acceleration and open top thrills when the roof is down.

While the Roadster is a new offering, the popular i8 Coupe has undergone a midlife revamp with both vehicles built on the firm’s life drive architecture.

This sees the ‘drive’ module delivering a high voltage battery, a crash system, powertrain and structural functions.

The ‘life’ module delivers a carbon fibre reinforced plastic passenger cell to protect the occupants which, says BMW, is unique to the segment.

Excellent performance enjoyed by the BMW i8

BMW i8 Coupe and Roadster First Vehicle Leasing 2

Most of the excellent performance enjoyed by the BMW i8, is down to the lightweight design and innovative technology and vehicle’s construction also makes for improved handling.

The number of situations where drivers can use the electric motor has been increased and the three-cylinder combustion engine is only used when the driver needs to accelerate quickly.

The high voltage lithium-ion battery is located under the centre of the car with its capacity increased to 34Ah – so there’s more energy at its disposal. The peak motor output is 143 bhp.

Get this car on personal contract hire

The i8’s interior has also been substantially revamped with a new multifunctional instrument display and sports steering wheel.

The car features a full leather upholstery and there’s an eDrive button, next to the driving experience control switch, that will allow the driver to adjust the vehicle’s set-up and drive system.

The impressive new BMW i8 was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show and is now on sale priced from £112,730 OTR for the Coupe and £124,730 for the Roadster.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.