Back in 2012, BMW ->ke178 unveiled the i8 Spyder Concept car, which wasn't a big surprise considering that the coupe concept appeared ripe for a removable top.

Now, that the i8 Coupe is ready to hit showrooms, potential buyers are waiting for a production version of the i8 Spyder to also hit the market.

A recent report from Bimmerpost suggests that BMW officials have approved the i8 Spyder for production, and that we should see it sometime in late 2015. The same report also suggests that BMW has already unveiled a production-ready model to insiders sometime last Friday. This production model featured a Solar Orange exterior paint -- identical to what we've seen on the i3 -- combined with blue highlights.

Of course the i8 Spyder will share the engine and the technical features with its coupe sibling. The exterior will remain nearly identical to the concept version, but with with the production styling aspects of the i8 Coupe.

Click past the jump to read more about the BMW i8 Coupe.

BMW i8 Coupe

After a couple concept versions and many testing sessions, the BMW i8 finally made its world debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show->ke235. The i8 is a plug-in hybrid vehicle that combines a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder engine that delivers 231 horsepower driving the rear wheels. with an electric motor that produces 131 horsepower driving the front wheels.

With a full tank of gas, the i8 can travel up to 310 miles, while on electric mode it can travel just 22 miles on a single charge and up to a maximum speed of about 75 mph.

The i8 can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and up to a top speed of 155 mph.

On the U.S. market, the i8 is priced from $135,925.