The BMW i8 is a few months away from celebrating its third year anniversary since entering production, and if there’s one thing that we’ve come to know and understand about the i8, it’s that BMW has never wasted an opportunity to dress up the hybrid sports car in a number of different versions. Over the years, we’ve seen special edition versions like the i8 Protonic Red Edition, the i8 Concours d’ Elegance Edition, and the i8 Protonic Dark Silver Edition. At one point, there was even the i8 Mirrorless Concept, which didn’t come with standard mirrors, hence the name. Today, we welcome a pair of new special edition I8’s, both of whom are scheduled to make their debuts at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. One of these special editions is called the i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition and predictably enough, it’s dressed in black from nose to tail.

Debonairs the world over would certainly appreciate a car like the i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition. The special edition i8’s all-black look is a magnet for self-assured confidence and we all know that the suave and urbane are not lacking in those particular character traits. Naturally, it touts a model-specific BMW Individual paint finish as the main highlight of the Protonic Frozen Black Edition, as it has for the aforementioned special edition i8s that have come before it.

That said, the i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition isn’t just defined by its striking paint finish. Specific interior appointments also help magnify the i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition’s special edition status. There’s not a lot of them, but the ones that are there are exclusive to the Frozen Black Edition and its co-star in Geneva, the equally limited Protonic Yellow Edition.

Both special edition i8s are scheduled to go on sale this year with the Protonic Frozen Black Edition hitting the market first in April 2017. For its part, the Protonic Frozen Yellow Edition will follow suit a few months later, possibly around the latter half of the year.

Continue after the jump to read more about the BMW i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition.

What makes the BMW i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition so special

The defining characteristic of the BMW i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition is its Protonic Frozen Black paint finish that BMW Individual created specifically for this model. Just that fact alone already makes this particular limited edition i8 a true special edition model. But BMW didn’t just stop there; it added Frozen Grey Metallic accents on the body of the car, ensuring that the coupe received a double dose of dark shades that help make it stand out from other special edition i8s that have come before it. About the only thing keeping the i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition from being dressed in complete darkness is a set of 2-inch BMW i light alloy wheels with a W-Spoke design and matte-painted surfaces. The wheel set is entirely new as well.

Move to the interior of the special edition i8 and the menu of bespoke special edition touches will greet you straight from the get-go. The door sill strips, in particular, will great owners with a “Protonic Frozen Black Edition” inscriptions. Move past that and owners also stand get yellow contrast stitching on the seat surfaces and center console. The use of yellow stitching is particularly useful in the Frozen Black Edition since it provides a splashy in break from all the black found in the exterior and interior of the i8. In fact, more yellow contrast stitching can be found in the side panel trim and door cars, as well as the floor mats and the lower-end of the instrument panel.

Complementing that treatment is a headliner finished in anthracite, belt straps decked in grey, and ceramic applications in the selector lever, BMW’s own iDrive Controller.

How does the i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition separate itself from other special edition i8s

This is a good question to answer because there might be some confusion on the levels of exclusivity that each of these special edition i8s provide. For the most part, the treatment all these i8s received are similar; the only differences are the color applications that BMW Individual dresses them up with. Take the Protonic Dark Silver Edition for example. BMW Individual worked up an exclusive paint finish for that model as well, predictably calling it Protonic Dark Silver. The shade did feature some slight hints of blue in it, thus creating its own two-tone look.

No mention was made on what the interior upgrades are as far as Protonic Dark Silver Edition are concerned, but based on precedence and subsequent follow-up SEs, we said before that we’re be surprised if the Protonic Dark Silver Edition didn’t feature its fancy applications like contrast stitching set in a different color and model-specific inscriptions on the door sill strips.

Note: photo of the BMW i8 Protonic Dark Silver Edition

The other special edition BMW i8 that shares its personalized qualities is the BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition. This special edition i8 is actually the first to receive the “Protonic” label, presumably setting the stage for other special edition models of its kind to follow suit. Like the cars that followed, BMW Individual’s imprint on the i8 Protonic Red Edition is significant. For one, it’s responsible for the fancy Protonic Red paint finish of the car, an exclusive feature of this particular SE. Not only to that, BMW Individual also complemented the bright red shade with Frozen Grey Metallic accents, the exact same accents used on the Protonic Frozen Black Edition. Unlike the Frozen Black Edition though, the accents on the Protonic Red Edition are clearly visible. They’re found on the coupe’s kidney grille, side skirts, and around the rear fascia. A set of 20-inch W-spoke 470, light-alloy wheels finish out exterior enhancements of the car.

If you’re wondering if the i8 Protonic Red Edition also comes with its own “Protonic Red Edition” inscription on the door sill strips. Likewise, fancy red stitching counts as the contrast shade in the cabin and the stitchings themselves show up in a variety of ways, including in the door panels and seat surfaces. Some other interior goodies were made available for the i8 Protonic Red Edition. These include bespoke embellishers made from high-grade carbon-fiber for the center console and instrument panel, carbon-fiber pull handles, and a gear selector with black ceramic detailing.

Note: photo of the BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition.

Different on the outside, the same on the inside

All these special edition BMW i8s can be considered exclusive on the account of their unique paint colors. But at the end of the day, they’re all still BMW i8s and as such, they all carry the same 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that delivers 231 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. Driving the front wheels means that owners can expect the electric motor to produce 131 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Put them together and you have a total output of 362 ponies and 420 pound-feet of torque, enough to help the coupe sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds to go with a top speed of 155 mph and total range of 310 miles.

Standard BMW i8s cost at a starting price of $140,700. BMW has yet to release the price for the i8 Protonic Frozen Black Edition but expect it to cost a little bit more than the standard model.