BMW has put a new spin on its hybrid i8 sports car. The German automaker unveiled the 2019 BMW i8 Roadster, a two-seater hybrid with a convertible top.
The all-new i8 Roadster is a hybrid all-wheel drive sports car that feature its i8 predecessor’s gullwing doors that open forwards and upwards. The vehicle, which has a combustion engine driving the rear wheels and an electric motor driving the front wheels, can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds. The i8 Roadster features an the all-season fabric soft-top that can be opened or closed electronically in less than 16 seconds and while the vehicle is in motion at up to 31 mph.
This is not an all-electric vehicle. But owners can experience pure electric driving. The vehicle has about 18 miles of pure electric driving before it switches to the gas combustion engine.
The i8 Roadster can reach a top speed of 155 miles per hour.
Sales will begin in spring 2018. The automaker didn’t release a price for the i8 Roadster. However, a 2017 i8 starts at $143,400. The Roadster will likely be priced in that neighborhood.
The Roadster i8 marks BMW’s slight expansion of its “i” sub-brand, which includes the original i8 model that launched in 2014 and the electric i3.