A few days ago, BMW released a teaser of its new i8 Roadster ahead of of its international launch early next year. It has been revealed at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show and retains dihedral doors from its hard-top cousin. There have been cosmetic revisions while the long rumoured mechanical upgrades are also be put in place.
It will target a big band of premium customers and BMW may not shy away from pricing both the Roadster and the Coupe a notch above their current state. The Roadster opts for a modified version of the regular i8 plug-in hybrid’s tailgate structure as the dihedral doors make it much more appealing.
The powertrain has certainly been upgraded as the petrol-electric hybrid system adapts a power surge compared to the existing range. The i8 Roadster and Coupe features an intricate 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine coupled with synchronous electric motor mounted up front.
The combined fuel economy rating with the assistance of the electric motor will be 2.1 litre per 100 km or 112 mpg in US while the combined CO2 emission is at 48 g/km. These are slightly inferior figures compared to the existing i8 Coupe which returns 2.0 L/100km and rated CO2 emission of 44 g/km.
The battery pack has more muscle and is up from 20 Ah to 34 Ah as well as from 7.1 kWh to 11.6,kWh. It can also travel on electric power alone at speeds of up to 65 mph (105 kmph) or 75 mph (121 kmph) in eDrive mode. The full-electric range is up to 34 miles (54 km) for the coupe and 33 miles (56 km) for the convertible on the New European Driving Cycle.
The suspension has been retuned in the roadster as well while new set of wheels help in reducing unsprung weight. Both the Roadster and Coupe will be reaching US dealerships next spring and pricing will be revealed later.
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