The i8 Hybrid sports car series emerged six years ago and never became truly popular, despite its novel design reminiscent of the 2009 Vision EfficientDynamics Concept. The facelift that brought a roadster version to the lineup (watch the video for that one) did not help, either. Today, we say farewell to the i8.
BMW said last year that it was going to discontinue the model in late April, but the pandemic intervened and enabled it to stay in production for a month and a half longer than planned. The last 18 units produced all belong to the so-called Farewell Edition, and the last example depicted here is a Portimao Blue roadster.
The series drew its power from a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine mounted in the rear and burning gasoline, as well as a single electric motor at the front end. Their maximum power output amounted to 374 hp (280 kW).
Throughout its production time, the BMW i8 has shipped to the tune of just above 20,000 units. Three years later, the Bavarian carmaker intends to introduce a brand-new hybrid sports car armed with a different powertrain.