BMW i8 Roadster (I15) was the open-top version of BMW’s innovative plug-in hybrid sports car. While the BMW i8 Coupé showed in the early 2010s how BMW saw the future of sports cars in an electrified era, the Roadster added an open roof and an even more emotional driving experience to the same idea.
The BMW i8 Roadster was presented in 2017 and entered series production in 2018. The model arrived together with the updated i8 Coupé and used the further developed plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The Roadster was not simply the result of removing the roof from the Coupé, but a technically and structurally well-considered open-top version of a car that was already highly unusual in its basic concept.
Design and concept
In terms of design, the BMW i8 Roadster remained faithful to the futuristic appearance of the i8 model family. The low body, streamlined side profile, upward-opening doors, air-guiding channels and layered rear section made the car instantly recognisable. The Roadster added the emotion of an open-top sports car, while still retaining the technological and forward-looking character typical of the i8.
The open body gave the i8 a slightly different character compared with the Coupé. While the Coupé appeared more as a technological sports car, the Roadster placed greater emphasis on driving emotion and the direct feeling of open-air motoring. The electrically operated soft fabric roof opened and closed in around 15 seconds and could also be operated at low speeds. With the roof closed, the car remained low and streamlined; with the roof open, its futuristic form became even more striking.
Like the Coupé, the BMW i8 Roadster was based on the LifeDrive architecture. At its centre was a carbon-fibre passenger cell, which helped provide body rigidity and keep weight under control. This was especially important for the open version, as the absence of a fixed roof placed greater demands on the structure. The carbon-fibre passenger cell allowed BMW to create a Roadster that retained the technical complexity and distinctive constructional character of the i8.
Technology
Technically, the BMW i8 Roadster used the updated i8 plug-in hybrid system. A 1.5-litre three-cylinder TwinPower Turbo petrol engine drove the rear wheels, while an electric motor drove the front wheels. This preserved the i8’s characteristic hybrid all-wheel-drive layout, with the petrol engine and electric drive working together while being positioned on different axles.
The updated drivetrain had a system output of 374 hp. This made the i8 Roadster a fast car, but the meaning of this model was not only in its performance figures. More important was the way BMW combined the possibility of electric driving, sporting dynamics, lightweight construction and the driving experience of an open-top grand tourer. The car could travel short distances electrically, while still offering sports-car speed and driving range with the support of the petrol engine.
The BMW i8 Roadster accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in around 4.6 seconds, while top speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h. Compared with the Coupé, the Roadster was slightly heavier, but it retained strong performance and a very special driving character. The open body made the driving experience even more direct, especially because the i8 was not a traditional roadster with a large engine, but a sports car with a futuristic hybrid drivetrain.
Production
The BMW i8 Roadster was produced at the Leipzig plant from 2018 to 2020. It was the later and rarer version of the i8 model family. While the Coupé was the original and better-known form of the i8, the Roadster added a more exclusive open-top variant to the model range.
The production number of the BMW i8 Coupé is given as 16,581 cars, while the Roadster production number is given as 3884 cars. In total, 20,465 cars of the BMW i8 model family were produced. This makes the Roadster a significantly rarer version than the Coupé and gives it additional value from a collector’s point of view.
Significance in BMW history
The significance of the BMW i8 Roadster lies in the way it carried the i8 concept into an even more emotional form. It retained the core character of the i8 — the plug-in hybrid drivetrain, carbon-fibre construction, futuristic design and BMW i technological thinking — but added the experience of an open-top sports car.
The Roadster showed that an electrified sports car did not have to be only a technological demonstration, but could also offer the classic emotion of open-air driving. This distinguished the i8 Roadster from many other hybrid and electric cars of its time. It was a car that combined technological experimentation, design icon status and open-top sports-car character into one very special whole.
The BMW i8 Roadster also remained the final development stage of the BMW i8 model family. When i8 production ended in 2020, the model entered BMW history as one of the first truly visible electrified sports cars. The Roadster’s low production number and special body style make it the rarer and more emotional version of the i8 family today.
Model in the collection
The model car in my collection is produced by Minichamps. It is an official BMW dealer model.
Technical data in brief
Production period: 2018–2020
Production location: Leipzig, Germany
Body style: two-door open-top sports car
Architecture: LifeDrive with carbon-fibre passenger cell
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder TwinPower Turbo petrol engine with electric motor
Drivetrain type: plug-in hybrid
System output: 374 hp
Transmission: 6-speed automatic transmission for the petrol engine, separate transmission for the electric drive on the front axle
Drivetrain: hybrid all-wheel drive, with the petrol engine driving the rear wheels and the electric motor driving the front wheels
Roof: electrically operated soft fabric roof
Roof opening/closing time: around 15 s
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: around 4.6 s
Top speed: 250 km/h, electronically limited
Production number: 3884 Roadsters, 20,465 cars of the entire i8 model family
Special feature: open-top plug-in hybrid sports car combining the futuristic design, carbon-fibre construction and open-air driving experience of the i8
Background
BMW i8 Roadster (I15) was the open-top version of BMW’s innovative plug-in hybrid sports car. While the BMW i8 Coupé showed in the early 2010s how BMW saw the future of sports cars in an electrified era, the Roadster added an open roof and an even more emotional driving experience to the same idea.
The BMW i8 Roadster was presented in 2017 and entered series production in 2018. The model arrived together with the updated i8 Coupé and used the further developed plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The Roadster was not simply the result of removing the roof from the Coupé, but a technically and structurally well-considered open-top version of a car that was already highly unusual in its basic concept.
Design and concept
In terms of design, the BMW i8 Roadster remained faithful to the futuristic appearance of the i8 model family. The low body, streamlined side profile, upward-opening doors, air-guiding channels and layered rear section made the car instantly recognisable. The Roadster added the emotion of an open-top sports car, while still retaining the technological and forward-looking character typical of the i8.
The open body gave the i8 a slightly different character compared with the Coupé. While the Coupé appeared more as a technological sports car, the Roadster placed greater emphasis on driving emotion and the direct feeling of open-air motoring. The electrically operated soft fabric roof opened and closed in around 15 seconds and could also be operated at low speeds. With the roof closed, the car remained low and streamlined; with the roof open, its futuristic form became even more striking.
Like the Coupé, the BMW i8 Roadster was based on the LifeDrive architecture. At its centre was a carbon-fibre passenger cell, which helped provide body rigidity and keep weight under control. This was especially important for the open version, as the absence of a fixed roof placed greater demands on the structure. The carbon-fibre passenger cell allowed BMW to create a Roadster that retained the technical complexity and distinctive constructional character of the i8.
Technology
Technically, the BMW i8 Roadster used the updated i8 plug-in hybrid system. A 1.5-litre three-cylinder TwinPower Turbo petrol engine drove the rear wheels, while an electric motor drove the front wheels. This preserved the i8’s characteristic hybrid all-wheel-drive layout, with the petrol engine and electric drive working together while being positioned on different axles.
The updated drivetrain had a system output of 374 hp. This made the i8 Roadster a fast car, but the meaning of this model was not only in its performance figures. More important was the way BMW combined the possibility of electric driving, sporting dynamics, lightweight construction and the driving experience of an open-top grand tourer. The car could travel short distances electrically, while still offering sports-car speed and driving range with the support of the petrol engine.
The BMW i8 Roadster accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in around 4.6 seconds, while top speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h. Compared with the Coupé, the Roadster was slightly heavier, but it retained strong performance and a very special driving character. The open body made the driving experience even more direct, especially because the i8 was not a traditional roadster with a large engine, but a sports car with a futuristic hybrid drivetrain.
Production
The BMW i8 Roadster was produced at the Leipzig plant from 2018 to 2020. It was the later and rarer version of the i8 model family. While the Coupé was the original and better-known form of the i8, the Roadster added a more exclusive open-top variant to the model range.
The production number of the BMW i8 Coupé is given as 16,581 cars, while the Roadster production number is given as 3884 cars. In total, 20,465 cars of the BMW i8 model family were produced. This makes the Roadster a significantly rarer version than the Coupé and gives it additional value from a collector’s point of view.
Significance in BMW history
The significance of the BMW i8 Roadster lies in the way it carried the i8 concept into an even more emotional form. It retained the core character of the i8 — the plug-in hybrid drivetrain, carbon-fibre construction, futuristic design and BMW i technological thinking — but added the experience of an open-top sports car.
The Roadster showed that an electrified sports car did not have to be only a technological demonstration, but could also offer the classic emotion of open-air driving. This distinguished the i8 Roadster from many other hybrid and electric cars of its time. It was a car that combined technological experimentation, design icon status and open-top sports-car character into one very special whole.
The BMW i8 Roadster also remained the final development stage of the BMW i8 model family. When i8 production ended in 2020, the model entered BMW history as one of the first truly visible electrified sports cars. The Roadster’s low production number and special body style make it the rarer and more emotional version of the i8 family today.
Model in the collection
The model car in my collection is produced by Minichamps. It is an official BMW dealer model.
Technical data in brief
Production period: 2018–2020
Production location: Leipzig, Germany
Body style: two-door open-top sports car
Architecture: LifeDrive with carbon-fibre passenger cell
Engine: 1.5-litre three-cylinder TwinPower Turbo petrol engine with electric motor
Drivetrain type: plug-in hybrid
System output: 374 hp
Transmission: 6-speed automatic transmission for the petrol engine, separate transmission for the electric drive on the front axle
Drivetrain: hybrid all-wheel drive, with the petrol engine driving the rear wheels and the electric motor driving the front wheels
Roof: electrically operated soft fabric roof
Roof opening/closing time: around 15 s
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: around 4.6 s
Top speed: 250 km/h, electronically limited
Production number: 3884 Roadsters, 20,465 cars of the entire i8 model family
Special feature: open-top plug-in hybrid sports car combining the futuristic design, carbon-fibre construction and open-air driving experience of the i8
Photo of the real car. Source: classic-trader.com