The BMW i8 is still making a good case as a desirable model. The debut of the facelifted i8 in Detroit comes a month after the i8 Roadster showed up in Los Angeles. But just because the electric sports coupé remains relevant today, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be around in the not-so-distant future. There are ongoing discussions in Bavaria over the fate of the i8, and there’s growing sentiment that the coupé will end up becoming a one-generation wonder.

At this point, BMW has yet to make a concrete decision on the i8’s fate, as well as that of the i3. According to Autocar, BMW believes that both models have served their purpose in this world. In the case of the i3, it was to show that the company can develop an electric car. The i8 has also achieved its purpose, which was for BMW to showcase its abilities in marrying performance and electrification into one package. The i3 and i8 both succeeded in their respective objectives, leaving Bimmer execs to ponder what the future holds for both models.

“We're still deciding the i8,” BMW i boss Robert Irlinger told the publication. “We see a market for new kinds of sports cars. Whatever it’s called, or if it’s a new kind of sports car, is still in discussion.”

There is the possibility that the i8 becomes a long-standing model for BMW. On the other hand, it’s equally plausible that the electric coupé becomes a legacy model in the vein of the BMW M1.

It’s the same story with the i3, though, one that will be determined more by how popular it remains in the coming years. Sales of the electric hatchback have tapered off in recent years, culminating in a less-than-stellar 2017 sales year when only 6,276 units of the i3 were sold in the U.S. That’s a significant drop from the 7,625 i3 units BMW sold the year before.

If that trend continues, the i3 could be living on borrowed time, where it could join the i8 in BMW’s retirement facility.

References

BMW i8

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW i8 Coupe.

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW i8 Roadster.

BMW i3

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW i3.

Read our full review on the current 2017 BMW i8.