The doors to the Los Angeles Auto Show have opened, and BMW was hoping to WOW the crowd with a “new” i8 Coupe and the first-ever i8 Roadster. Sharing the same exterior features as the coupe, the Roadster gets the benefit of a soft top and the option of unlimited headroom, a first for the model. The electric drive system has been updated and now offers 18 miles of all-electric driving – 3 more than the coupe offered before. The new Roadster can hit the 60-mph sprint in 4.4 seconds while the Coupe can do it in 4.2; both top out at 155 mph. Both vehicles feature BMW’s “new” i8 design that includes revised headlights, a new front hood, and new LED strips in the taillights. There is also some slight tweaking apparent to the side skirts below the doors, two new body colors (E-Copper and Donnington Grey,) Carbon Fiber interior trim, and 12 extra horsepower – bringing total output up to 369 ponies. Check out the press release below and come back soon to check out our updated reviews
TopSpeed's Take
The idea of manufacturers keeping vehicles relatively fresh is rather enticing but, in this case, there’s not a lot of updating that really went on here. BMW boasts the i8 Coupe as “new” when it’s really one of the laziest facelifts that we’ve seen in quite some time. A new-gen model should be on the horizon, which will be much more refreshing, but until then, you’re probably better off keeping your 2017 or older model unless you’re really interested in those new wheels, slightly revised exterior lights, or the extra 12 horsepower offered by the 2018 model. For what it’s worth, you can probably get the new wheels for less than $15,000 for a more updated look and save a significant chunk of change if those new colors or extra ponies aren’t a big deal. Oh, if you can get your hands on the new headlights and taillights, they will also be easily interchangeable if you’re familiar with that kind of work. Then again, if you’re interested in those extra horses and those new colors, maybe springing for the 2018 model is worth it.
As far as the i8 Roadster goes, this thing is quite impressive. We can’t really beat it down too much considering it is, technically, a new model and it does look quite sexy with its top down. It offers nearly the same performance as the coupe. Whether or not it will be worth what BMW will ask for it, on the other hand, is a different story. I would expect to see a premium of at least $10,000 over the Coupe, which would place it somewhere in the neighborhood of $155,000 to $160,000 depending on the price increase for 2018. But, as a fair warning, BMW should be introducing a new-gen model for 2020, so that brand-new Roadster will end up looking quite old in just a few years.
References
Read our full review on the 2019 BMW i8 Roadster.
Read our full review on the current 2017 BMW i8.
Read more 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show news.