BMW i8 production to end next month

- More than 20,000 units sold since its introduction in 2014

- Bestselling electrified sports car

BMW has decided to end the product life-cycle of the i8 Coupe and i8 Roadster in April. Introduced in 2014, the i8 laid the foundation of BMW’s plug-in hybrid line-up. After being on sale for six years and selling 20,000 units worldwide, the Bavarian carmaker has finally decided to pull the plug on the i8 with the production ending at its Leipzig facility next month.

Part of BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics program, we saw the concept study of the i8 at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and the production version was introduced in 2013 at the same venue. The 2+2 sports coupe with gull-wind door, plug-in hybrid and four-wheel-drive was often claimed to rival the Porsche 911 in terms of dynamics and driver engagement. 

Making use of BMW’s intelligent carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CRFP) and aluminium chassis, the i8 is powered by a three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol motor conjoined to a 143bhp electric motor setup for a combined output of 357bhp and 570Nm. With its 11.6kWh battery pack, the i8 can do 120kmph and 53 kilometres without using the gasoline engine at all. In terms of performance, 0-100kmph is achievable in 4.4 seconds and top speed is limited to 250kmph.

Backing up the technologically advanced powertrain of the i8 is its radical looks and modern cabin. A drag coefficient of 0.26 on the outside and recycled materials used all around the cabin, the i8 also introduced many firsts for BMW. Apart from that, there were many special editions of the i8 and the Roadster in its years of service, notable of which are the Protonic Frozen Black Edition and the Protonic Frozen Yellow Edition, which were limited to just 100 units worldwide. BMW is currently producing 200 units of the Ultimate Sophisto Edition as a swansong for the electrified supercar.

The expertise of electrified powertrain from the i8 benefitted other cars in BMW’s line-up, almost all of which are now available with a hybrid engine option. Although the i8 is put to rest, the BMW Group plans to expand its range with 25 electrified models by 2023. Of these, more than half the models will run on electric power alone. Meanwhile, a direct successor for the i8 isn’t on the cards yet, but that will eventually come around under the iNEXT electric sub-brand sometime in future.