2019 BMW i8 Roadster: i-Opener
The cool and controversial BMW i8 is entering the second half of its life cycle with a modest update but big news in the form of a new softtop roadster variant. It’s no coincidence that BMW is unveiling the roadster at the annual auto show in Los Angeles—that is where the i8’s initial press launch took place in the spring of 2014, and it’s where the car has an especially rabid customer base that is eager to telegraph their green credentials with this plug-in hybrid that BMW stubbornly categorizes as an “electric” on its consumer website.
The i8 roadster ditches the coupe’s vestigial rear seats in favor of extra storage—and the compartment for the fabric top, which folds down in just 16 seconds and can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph. The B-pillars stand upright even when the top is lowered, giving the roadster a somewhat targa-like appearance. The rear window can be lowered electrically, and there should thus be sufficient airflow in the cabin to create a true open-top experience. The model is denoted by a Roadster badge applied to a simulated window on the B-pillar, just in case you can’t tell from seeing the fabric roof.
The use of 3D-printed aluminum components that connect the body with the roof mechanism break new engineering ground, BMW says. The extra weight for the roadster is a claimed 132 pounds, with the total weight stated at 3513 pounds.
The roadster uses the same hybrid powertrain as the coupe, and there are a few updates to it for 2019. While the gasoline engine—a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder with 228 horsepower—remains unchanged, the electric motor’s output rises from 129 to 141 horsepower. Total system power increases from 357 to 369 horsepower, hardly supercar territory but enough to propel the coupe from zero to 60 mph in a claimed 4.2 seconds (4.4 seconds for the roadster). While that acceleration figure is identical to its predecessor’s, we suspect that drivers may feel the revised i8’s extra oomph in some circumstances. Top speed is governed at 155 mph for both models.
Purely electric range also increases from 15 to 18 miles, and the maximum speed on electric power alone remains a governed 75 mph. The added power and range come courtesy of a higher-capacity lithium-ion battery, which grows from 7.1 to 11.6 kWh.
Visually, the hardtop gains a new Coupe badge on the B-pillar, and there are two new exterior colors, a fresh optional 20-inch wheel design, a new interior color scheme, and available carbon-fiber trim. The only other change is that the air vent in the hood has been revised. Everything else remains the same, although that’s not a bad thing. The i8, with its butterfly doors and chiseled futurism, still captures attention like few other cars on the road. Sales of the 2019 i8 roadster and coupe start in the spring of 2018.
