The new BMW i8 Roadster is set to hit the market in 2018, and now the Munich-based automaker has provided the first official glimpse of the fresh open-top model.
On Monday morning, BMW posted a 21-second video to its various social media platforms, giving fans an earlier look at the (still camouflaged) plug-in hybrid roadster, which will join the hardtop version and the i3 in the BMW i range.
Likely to be revealed at Frankfurt later this year with a market launch (including in South Africa) in 2018, BMW promises that the production version of the i8 Spyder concept will “unlock the door to a whole new dimension in pioneering open-top driving pleasure – virtually silent and with zero local emissions”.
It should share its plug-in hybrid powertrain with the standard i8, although with the latter soon due a mid-cycle update, an updated battery pack and possibly a smidgen more oomph from the 1,5-litre turbo-triple could be on the cards.
The video also confirms that the new i8 Roadster will employ a small, fabric roof in the targa-top style.
Watch the teaser video below…
Ultimate progression, ready to spread its wings. The first ever #BMWi8 Roadster. Coming in 2018. #BMWi pic.twitter.com/TkGoVF5rNe
— BMW i (@BMWi) July 3, 2017