BMW unveils i8 Roadster in India

Content

BMW has unveiled the i8 Roadster in India and it arrives exactly four years after the German automaker took the wraps off the hardtop i8 at the 2014 Auto Expo. It is the third member of the ‘i’ family and joins the likes of the i3 and the standard i8.

1.    The i8 roadster carries forward all the highlights of the standard i8 like CFRP as well as the design cues but is only 60 kilos heavier than the standard car. The signature soft top roof is auto folding and can go up or down in 15 second at speeds of up to 50kmph.

2.    The only major design change that is very visible is the rake of the windscreen which has been adjusted to suit the convertible nature of the car. Adding to this is the rear window which acts as a wind deflector when the roof is down.

3.    The car that has been shown at the show is the 2018 model and thus features the latest updates for the cabin like the upholstery colour and design as well as the iDrive system which can now be operated as a touchscreen system.

4.    The i8 roadster, like its hardtop sibling gets a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine as well as an electric motor. The former produces 230bhp and is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox.

5.    The hybrid tech is an eDrive system but now with a battery pack that has been upgraded to 11.6kWh over 7.1kWh. The electric motors can now produce 105kW/143bhp and can drive the car from nought to 105kmph on pure battery power.

6.    The standard i8 is priced at Rs 2.62 crores and so we believe that this convertible i8 will be priced at least another Rs 40 lakhs over the standard car. It will be launched in the Indian market later this year.