I’m beginning to wonder if BMW’s Abu Dhabi dealership has too much time on its hands. In the past week, the dealership has unveiled three personalized BMW->ke178 vehicles. First we saw the stunning BMW M235i. That was followed by the equally alluring BMW M3 with M Performance Parts. Now, it has a BMW i8,->ke4622 or to be more specific, the i8 Sophisto Grey.

This i8 gets its name from its Sophisto Grey paint finish, which is one of four color finishes BMW developed exclusively for the i8. Fans of the i8 clearly have a level of affinity for this particular shade, largely because it’s been dubbed the “Batman i8." If only it came with Batman's utility belt and the Batwing, but I guess this will do for now.

Click past the jump to read more about the BMW i8 Sophisto Grey.

2015 BMW i8 Sophisto Grey

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 BMW i8 Sophisto Grey
  • Engine/Motor: inline-3
  • Horsepower: 357
  • Torque: 420
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

BMW i8 Sophisto Grey in detail

The Sophisto Grey finish may be the highlight of this particular i8, but it's far from the only one. Look a little closer and you'll notice that the i8 also has plenty of blue details, creating a nice contrast with the predictably dark and monotonous shade of the hybrid sports car's body.

The unmistakable BMW kidney grille has been finished in blue, same with the side skirts and rear bumper accents. It might have been nicer if the car lived up to its Batman monicker and used yellow instead, but I'm not complaining about how this i8 turned out.

It's really the personification of a stealthy hybrid sports car that's well suited for the Abu Dhabi market.

From this angle, the Sophisto Grey finish on the i8 looks even more majestic. That's not really high praise since we're talking about the i8, but that's what happens when you add an exclusive color that no other BMW has.

The Sophisto Grey i8 also received plenty of added options, including a rear-view camera, high-beam assist, speed-limit info with No Passing Info display, Surround View, Head-Up Display, Collision Warning with pedestrian recognition, and a set of 20-inch alloy wheels that can be replaced with lightweight carbon wheels at an additional cost.

BMW i8

The BMW i8 is a pretty special car with a rather important purpose. The production model of the i8 officially made its world debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, instantly becoming a customer favorite. In fact, the i8’s popularity has resulted in the hybrid sports car selling out in a handful of BMW’s most important markets, including the UK.

The i8 was developed to combine the luxury feel of a high-end sports car with impressive performance credentials that belie its fuel-efficient nature. There may be a lot of paradoxes in that statement, but the i8 really is the embodiment of a car that promotes everything you want in a modern-day sports car.

The i8 is powered by a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine and an electric motor that together produce 357 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The 1.5-liter engine mates to a six-speed auto transmission, while the electric motors hook up to a two-stage transmission.

With those numbers, the i8 is capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds to go with a top speed of 155 mph while returning an impressive 76 MPGe in the U.S.

The BMW i8 starts at $135,925.