Is it better looking than the i8 Coupe? It definitely seems so.
In the sea of Roadsters, the BMW i8 makes for a rather curiously styled one. It has many different features compared to what we have on other Roadsters.
- It's soft-top (yes, soft top), that folds at the back, vertically in Z shape fashion
- It has more a powerful hybrid setup compared to the previous coupe
- It is only a touch heavier compared with the coupe
- It has 2.2 square feet of cargo space behind the seats with the top up
- It does not have rear seats (after all, that top has to go somewhere)
- It can travel further only on electricity compared to the pre-redesigned coupe
All of this obviously sounds quite appealing, yet the sheer design of the car with the top down definitely takes the roadster prospects to another level. One cannot fail to notice those fine-looking humps behind the headrests. Some of the racing cars sport this design for improved aerodynamics and the i8, despite not being a race car (by any stretch of the imagination), definitely looks astounding with it.
Now, BMW did a much more important job with it. The new i8 Roadster (and the coupe) now feature improved propulsion system. While the 231hp three-cylinder remained the same, it received improved particulate filter for better emission control. As for the electric motor, BMW managed to increase the power to 143hp, increasing the combined output to 374hp. To optimize BMW eDrive technology, BMW had to replace batteries. Now they have better power density with the energy capacity increased from 7.1 to 11.6 kWh.
