The BMW i8 was launched in the Indian market back in 2015 at a starting price of Rs 2.29 crore (ex-showroom), and went on to become one of the most expensive BMW offerings in the country
The BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car was the production version of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Bavarian carmaker went on to launch the car in its home country in June 2014, and now after 6 years of its existence, BMW has stopped the production run of the i8.
However, BMW has ended the production of the i8 in a very special way. The last 18 units of the car have left the BMW plant in Leipzig, and the said units are finished in unique paint schemes that were never actually offered with the i8. BMW said that the degree of customisation required here was certainly a challenge, and technicians had to paint the cars by hand.
Also, the last cars to come off the production line have been equipped with some unique components like Alcantara seat and steering wheel upholstery, as well as unique trim strips and fascia panels. Many of the 18 buyers of the final batch of the i8 are a part of the BMW i8 Club International.
A few of them got to meet their new i8 at the company’s Leipzig plant itself, and also witnessed their cars rolling off the line, each modified according to the owner’s requirements.
The colours that these i8’s came in the range from Austin Yellow and British Racing Green to Le Mans Blue, while the final car of the production run was an i8 Roadster finished in Portimao Blue. “For BMW i8 production to end with a finale like this is something we can all be very proud of,” said Hans-Peter Kemser, Plant Director. Over the six years that the i8 was on sale in the international markets, BMW manage to build around 20,500 units of the car.
While the BMW i8 wasn’t really a success, its sporty and futuristic appeal has always been appreciated. BMW might not have plans for a successor to the i8 as of now, but the company is certainly working on a range of other fully-electric vehicles.