BMW i8 Roadster arrives

Australian pricing has been announced for the new BMW i8 Roadster and the updated i8 Coupe it’s based on before both models arrive in showrooms this month.

The new drop-top version of the ground-breaking petrol-electric plug-in hybrid has been priced at $348,900 plus on-road costs, while the facelifted coupe has risen to $318,900 from $303,300.

That sort of money pitches the BMW i8 against the likes of the Audi R8, Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio, Mercedes-AMG GT and some Porsche 911s.

The i8’s most logical opponent – in terms of drivetrain not price - is the $420,000 Honda NSX hybrid, although that only comes as a hard-top.

We’ve driven the i8 roadster in Europe and liked it.

Essentially, it’s the coupe shorn of a permanent roof, the two rear seats – that space is where the soft-top power-folds into in 15 seconds at speeds up to 50km/h – and with 60kg in kerb weight added (taking it up to 1595kg). It retains the carbon-fibre core structure of the coupe and the signature scissor doors.

Both versions of the i8 benefit from an update to the drivetrain, which continues to comprise a 1.5-litre triple-cylinder petrol-turbo engine driving the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic and an electric motor driving the front wheels via a two-speed coupling.

Improvements include a 70 per cent increase in battery capacity leading to a greater real-world range of 40km (up from about 20km). There’s also an uptick in combined kilowatts from 266kW to 275kW (combined torque is unchanged at 570Nm).

BMW claims a 0-100km/h acceleration figure of 4.4 sec for the coupe (unchanged from the old coupe) and 4.6 sec for the roadster.

Claimed fuel consumption on the European NEDC cycle is claimed to be 2.2L/100km for the coupe and 2.4L/100km for the roadster. The i8 can run on electricity alone up to 120km/h.

AC charging to 80 per cent capacity can be achieved in two hours and 30 minutes at a maximum of 3.7kW.

The i8 refresh also includes interior updates, most notably a large colour head up display and a 10.25-inch colour screen with tile-based interface for the BMW professional sat-nav system.

Unique to the i8 Roadster is a ‘Travel Package’, which includes electric seats with additional memory functions, a storage compartment behind the front seas that includes a Nappa leather map carrier with embossed i8 identifier and a specifically-designed rear storage section with separating elements for additional convenience. The Travel Package provides 92 litres of storage overall.

Both model also now feature air curtains that flow air laterally through the wheel-arches and along the underbody, rather than through the bonnet outlet, reducing noise levels.

First launched in Australia in early 2015, just eight i8s have been sold here in the first half of 2018, 24 last year and 32 in 2016.

How much does the 2018 BMW i8 cost?
i8 Coupe -- $318,900
i8 Roadster -- $348,900
* Prices exclude on-road costs