BMW’s i8 Spyder is just around the corner
19:44
According to the latest rumors from the shady underground world of automotive mysteries, the BMW i8 Spyder concept that was delivered to the public more than three years ago has not been shelved and is heading to the production line.
According to a recent interview with the new BMW chief executive officer Harald Kruger, the manager apparently confirmed the i8 Spyder concept will finally be turned into a production series model. The German was actually very coy on specific details and he only let slip the model would head to the factory relatively soon – we have no idea what timing they’re considering but it could be an auspicious period during next year as almost two years have passed since the automaker started delivering the first i8 coupe units to its clients. Another mystery is how much of the concept will perspire to the actual production model, since the Spyder prototype featured a semi-transparent bonnet, an open top body and a sloped windscreen with an integrated spoiler – there was also a stylish rear and a shorter wheelbase.
We do imagine the i8 coupe’s plug-in hybrid powertrain will be taken for granted – using the same 1.5-liter TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor and the latter claiming power from the lithium-ion battery pack. The i8 coupe has 362 PS (266 kW) and can jump to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds, with the top speed again electronically governed at 250 km/h (155 mph). And all that was done while only averaging 2.1 L/100 km (112 mpg) and being able to go electric-only for 37 km (23 miles).
