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BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735

The 2+2 BMW i8 has evolved past its coupe form into a lovely roadster with butterfly wings. However, there's one thing that could stop many UK buyers from rushing showrooms: prices start from £124,735.
BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735 25 photos
Photo: BMW
BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735BMW i8 Roadster Launched in Britain, Costs £124,735
While we don't feel the need to check it against the i8 Coupe, that's got to be at least 10k more, not to mention one of the most expensive BMWs of all time. And we don't think it's worth it.

For starters, BMW took way too much time launching this car. The regular hardtop came out in 2014, but the preview came as early as the 2012 Beijing Auto Show. And in that time, a lot of fantastic sports cars have come out.

BMW thinks that the plug-in hybrid powertrain gives its i8 some sort of edge, but it's always been a YouTuber's car. And in 2018, they're all flocking to the Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe with its fat rear tires and the 570S with its "I'm a base McLaren supercar" attitude. What's that cost, £145,305? The 540 models are even cheaper.

Both versions of the i8 are powered by a new battery cell with increased capacity (34 kWh vs. 20). This boosts the all-electric range to 33 miles. The higher capacity also means that the proportion of all-electric driving can be increased substantially in hybrid mode. The BMW i8 Roadster is capable of pulling away and reaching speeds of up to 65mph purely on the electric motor’s power. If the eDrive mode is engaged, the all-electric threshold is increased further to 75mph.

Combined system output produced by the 143 HP electric motor and 231 HP 1.5-liter turbo engine acting in unison has increased to 374 HP. The new i8 Roadster can reach 62mph in 4.6 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. And according to the EU, it's very clean at just 46 grams per kilometer, equivalent to 141.2mpg.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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