BMW i8 Roadster Car

BMW i8 Roadster

Upcoming

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Expected Price: ₹ 2.8 Crores

Expected Launch: Nov 2019

BMW i8 Roadster is not launched in India yet. Information on this page is tentative.

BMW i8 Roadster Preview

BMW took the stage at the 2018 Auto Expo with the i3s and i8 Roadster. The Roadster will be officially launched in India and will join the i8 as BMW’s halo product in the country. Based on the i8 Spyder Concept of 2012, the drop-top i8 was first showcased at the 2017 Los Angeles Motor Show.

The i8 Roadster becomes the third member of BMW’s futuristic i family. The open-top i8 carries forward all the hardware of the i8 Coupe along with the design language. The CFRP construction ensures lightweight. Therefore, the drop-head i8 is just 60 kilograms heavier than its hard-top sibling. The all-electric roof opens and closes at a touch of a button in 15 seconds and while travelling at up to 50kmph. The soft-top can be stowed back in a cavity behind the seats in a perpendicular position. BMW has modified the windscreen as well in order to accommodate the new roof. The windscreen now gets a strengthened frame and larger quarter windows. The rear window doubles up as a wind deflector and can also be closed or opened independently without the roof.

On the inside, the cabin has been updated similar to the i8 Coupe. The Roadster gets special seats, bespoke tuning for springs, damping and Dynamic Stability Control. The stylish 20-inch lightweight alloy wheels come as standard. The 8.8-inch free-standing iDrive system now gets an option of touchscreen control. The 2+2 seating configuration is now changed to a strict two-seater.

Powering the i8 Roadster is the same eDrive plug-in hybrid drive system but is now more powerful than before. The battery pack is upgraded to 11.6kWh over 7.1kWh. The electric motors now produce 105kW/143bhp and can drive the car to 105kmph on pure battery power which can be increased to 120kmph at a push of an (eDrive) button. The electric range is now claimed to be 53 kilometres. The 1.5-litre three-cylinder gasoline engine is still present putting out 230bhp. The combined power output of 369bhp and 570Nm is channelled through a six-speed automatic gearbox to the rear wheels.

Pricing for the new i8 Roadster wasn’t revealed at the Expo stage. However, BMW will soon launch the open-top hybrid sports car in India given the response the standard i8 has garnered in the country. Expect it to be priced slightly higher than the coupe sibling but slightly under the Rs 3 crore mark.