VIDEO: BMW i8 Roadster teased ahead of unveil
German car maker shows off i8 carrying out final testing ahead of forthcoming launch, production car could appear at Frankfurt motor showThe BMW's i8 Roadster's long journey from concept to production car is thought to be nearing an end following the German car maker released a video of the droptop hybrid supercar carrying out final testing in the French Alps.
Releasing a new set of teasing photographs accompanied by a new video, full details of the i8 Roadster are still forthcoming, but caption on the car maker's Instagram suggests the convertible BMW has entered its "final testing phase" suggesting development is almost complete.
On sale in 2018, BMW has yet to confirm both when it will unveil the final production model, or when it will reach the Australian market.
Set to come with a pair of flying buttress-style pods behind the driver and passenger, plus a small lightweight folding fabric roof, it would be tempting to think the Roadster will come with the same 266kW combined power output as the regular coupe.
Instead, rumours suggest the i8 Roadster's introduction will be part of a technological overhaul for the i8 that will involve both powering up the 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo that currently pushes out 170kW.
The Roadster could also come with an up-rated, higher energy density battery.
If so the i8 Roadster, that's thought to weight around the same as the coupe (1485kg), will slash the current car's 4.4 second sprint to 100km/h.
Adding credibility to those claims the Instagram post details the i8 Roadster will average 2.0L/100km while emitting 45g/km of CO2 - both are an improvement of the coupe's 2.1L/100km and 49g/km of CO2 - hinting at significant technical changes.
As well as being more efficient and (hopefully) more powerful the i8 Roadster is also tipped to come with BMW's next-gen infotainment system that includes gesture control and virtual touch surfaces that were previewed at last year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Greenlit for production late in 2015, a concept for the i8 convertible was originally first shown back in 2012 at the Beijing motor show.
The Roadster's delay is thought to have been to allow the coupe to establish itself in the market.
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