The BMW i8 has become the definition of BMW->ke178 electrified performance. With a 1.5-liter, inline three-cylinder combined with an electric motor and battery pack, the i8->ke4622 is able to deliver 357 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. It’s enough to get the i8 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. It has a fuel economy rating of 95 MPGe and has an all-electric range of up to 23 miles. Now, BMW U.K. is expanding its Individual program to the i8 with new paint finish options and a new set of available wheels.
The program includes the choice of a number of different exterior color options including, Speed Yellow, Solar Orange, Frozen Grey, Frozen Black, Java Green, San Marino Blue, and Twilight Purple, to name a few. As you can see from the images, the new paint finish will encompass about 90 percent of the car, leaving just a little bit of black on the roof, hood, and front bumper. Furthermore, the new gloss black W-Spoke alloy wheels add even more character to the car. According to BMW, the new finishes “Complement the i8’s styling” and “reflects the personal style of the customer.”
When talking about the new exterior paint program, BMW’s Director of Sales in the U.K., Richard Hudson, said, “The BMW i8 embodies the accomplished vision of a modern and sustainable sports car.->ke506 The new paintwork colors not only complement the BMW i8s emotive styling and design, they also work harmoniously with the BMW i brand and provide customers with exclusive personalized options.”
The individual paint program and those new wheels are available at all BMW i Agents in the U.K. now with a price of £5,495 or about $7,942 at current exchange rates. The program is limited to the U.K., so if you’re one of the few U.S. owners out there, you better be willing to park your i8 on a boat for a while if you want to indulge in any of the new colors.
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Why it matters
It’s pretty cool that BMW is up to the task of extending the Individual program to the i8 with a host of new colors and a new set of wheels, but it seems to me like it might be a push to make the i8 more desirable. Since it went on sale in the U.K. in 2014, Bimmer has just recently surpassed the 1,400 sales mark. It doesn’t seem like a lot for a car that has been named Top Gear Car of the Year in 2014, U.K. Car of the Year in 2015, and has also received the World Green Car Award. With any luck, the additional of these individual paint colors and new wheels will help to increase sales on the brands $150,000 hybrid. Of course, the i8 is one of those cars that only appeal to a certain group of people. For $150,000, I don’t think I’m the only person out there that thinks the i8 should deliver more power than it does. At least now, customers will have plenty of colors to choose from to set themselves apart from the other 1,400 owners in the U.K.
BMW i8
Read our full review on the BMW i8 here.