The fate of the BMW i8 beyond its current run is still a big question mark. But that’s a problem for another time. Today, the i8 is still going strong, as exhibited by the facelifted model that made its debut at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. Moving forward, there are rumblings that the German automaker could take the i8 to another performance level with the introduction of a more powerful “i8S” version.

Rumors of a more powerful BMW i8 have actually been floating around for some time. They might even stretch all the way back to when the i8 was launched a few years ago. But this is one of the rare times that executives from Bimmer are openly talking about it, so take it for what it’s worth.

Alexander Koutoc, Head of BMW i Product Management, commented on the status of a more powerful i8. “There is customer demand for a more powerful version, but it needs to make sense for our brand,” he said. “You could put a V-12 in there and it would be incredibly powerful but would it still be a BMW i car? We need to find the perfect balance.”

Koutoc’s comments confirm that there’s discussion within BMW to launch a more performance-focused i8s coupé. It’s unclear how serious the discussions are, but it seems that the possibility of an i8s will hinge on how the company can navigate around potential roadblocks in its development.

Koutoc hinted that one of these roadblocks is finding the right balance between adding more power to the i8 while retaining its “i” status. The task is easier said than done because the i8 is not a traditional performance car. There’s more to it than just dropping a bigger engine, tweaking the software, and calling it a day. Concessions need to be addressed if BMW hopes to get that “perfect balance” it’s looking for.

The idea of a BMW i8s sounds great on paper. At the very least, it would open the car to a world of new performance possibilities. But is BMW prepared to take that leap if it means disrupting the spirit of its i division? I don’t see it happening. That's why I’m skeptical about a performance-oriented i8s hitting dealerships anytime soon.

References

BMW i8

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW i8 Coupe.

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW i8 Roadster.

Read our full review on the current 2017 BMW i8.

Read more BMW news.