On Thursday, the final i8 to be produced rolled out of the Leipzig BMW facility. Actually, the PHEV’s manufacturing was scheduled to stop in the middle of April. However, because of the factory’s closure due to the coronavirus outbreak, manufacturing was delayed until June.
Since manufacturing on the i8 began six years ago, exactly 20,448 vehicles have been sent from the factory. According to a press release from BMW, the final vehicle was an i8 Roadster in “Portimao Blue” and it was sold to a buyer in Germany.
The i8 was the first plug-in hybrid vehicle in the whole BMW Group when it made its debut in 2014. The hybrid sports car was never successful outside of its specialized market due to its intricate carbon body and six-figure base price. The i8 “embodies the departure into electric mobility like no other car,” according to Hans-Peter Kemser, head of the BMW plant in Leipzig. The model served as the inspiration for the current variety of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Currently, one shift of production for the Leipzig-based BMW i3 produces 116 units per day. Hans-Peter Kemser, the plant manager, claims that if demand for e-cars in Germany increases, production of the i3 might be expanded to two shifts and thus boosted to 250 units per day.
There won’t be a straight replacement for the i8. In the interim, there have been rumors that the 2019 Vision M Next concept car may be produced in large quantities. The BMW board of directors reportedly decided against the 441 kW sports car, also against the backdrop of the Corona crisis, primarily due to “costs and the volume,” according to media reports. However, the hybrid sports car (this time with a four-cylinder petrol engine instead of the three-cylinder in the i8) did not get beyond the planning stage.
In This Article...
Its first hybrid vehicle would have been the Alpina i8.
In June 2020, the BMW i8’s manufacture came to an end after a little over six years. Alpina lost the opportunity to produce its first hybrid or electric vehicle by abandoning the i8 project. BMW doesn’t intend to create a precursor, but it will soon broaden its selection of hybrid vehicles, opening the door for Alpina to someday enter this market.
Since 1965, Alpina has been in business. In the beginning, the company focused on tuning BMW engines for racing, but in the 1980s it changed into an automaker. Alpina has altered several models of the BMW 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, and 8 Series over the years, but it also created a limited-edition Z8 roadster variant.
Now available at BMW dealerships, Alpina models include the B7 and XB7, based on the 7 Series and X7, respectively, in the U.S. lineup.
Advertised Links
The company’s first plug-in hybrid was the BMW i8. It was a stunner when it first appeared on the event circuit as a concept car, and the final product was shockingly comparable to the original. The innovative setup of a lithium-ion battery and a three-cylinder engine, which could accelerate the vehicle from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in only 4.4 seconds, was concealed by the sleek contours of the chassis. But in April, the BMW factory in Leipzig, Germany, will stop producing the brand’s best-selling sports car after six years of success.
For BMW, the i8 functioned as a model. While the i8 was undoubtedly above the means of even most luxury automobile fans, the features and technology underlying the car gradually made their way to other models in the company’s lineup. However, BMW adapted its hybrid drivetrain for more economical versions. Its high-end specifications contributed to the legitimacy of the idea of a powerful sports automobile that is also environmentally friendly.
Considering the $147,500 starting price, BMW has sold more than 20,000 i8s since 2014. According to the manufacturer, the model outsold every rival in its class combined. Having said that, the i8 is becoming outdated. Due to its obsolete core technology, the corporation is switching to more modern models, such the all-electric i4. Given all of this, it is hardly unexpected that BMW is ending one of its most illustrious success tales.
BMW stopped producing the i8 when?
Benoit Jacob was the designer of the BMW i8 in production. 2013 Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez was followed by the 2013 International Motor Show Germany, where the production model was unveiled. The BMW M1 Homage concept car, which itself pays homage to BMW’s last mid-engined sports car in production before the i8, had a significant effect on its design.
Butterfly doors, a head-up display, rearview cameras, and partially fake engine noise were all features of the BMW i8. Customer car series production started in April 2014. The two-speed electric drivetrain was created and manufactured by GKN. As opposed to LED headlights, it was the first production vehicle using laser headlights.
The i8 had a low drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.26 and a vehicle weight of 1,485 kg (3,274 lb) (DIN kerb weight). The top speed of the BMW i8 in all-electric mode was 120 km/h (75 mph). The i8 achieved a midrange acceleration from 50 to 75 mph (80 to 120 km/h) in 2.6 seconds when in Sport mode. 250 km/h was the electronically controlled peak speed (155 mph).
In December 2019, one of the restricted Ultimate Sophisto Edition models, the 20,000th i8, was created. On June 11 of 2020, the final i8 left the factory. 20,465 vehicles were made in total, with 16,581 coupes and 3,884 roadsters.
Did BMW i8 stop?
The i8, the first plug-in hybrid model from German carmaker, was unveiled in production form at the Frankfurt auto show in 2013 and had its American debut in 2014.
The model did experience a 43% boost in sales last year on the big U.S. market, reaching 1,102 units. In Canada, where the i8 increased from a meager 18 units sold in 2018 to 264 last year, the growth was much more pronounced.
In order to focus on creating and releasing a number of new electric cars as part of its ambitious aim to market 25 electrified models by 2023, BMW is putting the i8 on hold.
The iNext SUV’s manufacturing is anticipated to start in the middle of 2021. The i4 sedan follows, with development expected to begin at the end of the same year. Following the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show, this month saw the virtual debut of the latter model.
According to the European testing cycle, the i4 car and the iNext SUV should each have a range of about 600 km, which translates to 450–500 km in North America.
The BMW i8 will be replaced, but when?
For the 2024 model year, the i8 M—or whatever name BMW chooses for its upcoming hybrid sports car—will be completely new. As we come closer to the car’s release date, which is anticipated to be somewhere in 2023 as a 2024 model, we anticipate learning more.
How trustworthy is a BMW i8?
The BMW i8 was last manufactured in 2020, hence the model year 2020 would be the most recent. You’ll weigh your alternatives and select the one that best suits you.
But occasionally, you may count on a few difficulties. Most of its problems, including those listed above, can be avoided with routine servicing and maintenance.
Is Tesla faster than the BMW i8?
Still, when measured in terms of 0-60 mph, Tesla annihilates the i8. It completes the dash in roughly 3.2 seconds as opposed to 4.2 seconds for the BMW. But the BMW is unquestionably superior in several areas.
The BMW i8 is electric-only capable.
People will stop wherever you go in the i8 to take pictures of it with their iPhones and, if they have the chance, to talk to you. Despite the wide disparity in understanding of the vehicle, everyone agrees that the i8 looks stunning when parked by the side of the road. Since the i8 has a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.26, it is obvious that aerodynamics plays a major role in its design. When the gullwing-style doors are opened, the striking appearance causes an even sharper intake of breath.
Once inside, which necessitates some agility due to the relatively small and oddly formed entrance aperture, the interior also exhibits a significant amount of design flare, with numerous curved, layered surfaces. Everything is still where you want it and has the same superior ergonomic design as any other BMW cabin. We haven’t yet discovered a better in-car infotainment control system than BMW’s iDrive controller, but the head-up display is excellent. Importantly, the basic driving posture, like almost all other BMWs, is ideal and offers a wide range of modification.
Surprisingly, there is a good deal of storage space between the seats, in addition to the roomy center tube where the batteries are located. The “2+2” back seats, however, are cramped, and the boot is also quite small.
Things are equally inventive underneath the surface. The i8 is essentially a mid-engined vehicle thanks to its 3-cylinder, 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine, which is located between the rear seats and the rear wheels. The 6-speed automatic transmission used to drive the rear wheels of this power unit, which is based on the engine used in the new MINI Cooper, is lighter than the 8-speed automatic transmission often found in modern BMWs.
However, there is also a 96kw electric motor under the hood that is driven by a lithium-ion battery that runs up the middle of the vehicle. The front wheels are propelled by this electric drivetrain.
The i8 can be powered only by electricity, by gasoline, or by a combination of the two. The car has front-wheel drive if it is only powered by electricity. It has rear-wheel drive if only powered by gasoline. When used gradually, the i8 is all-wheel drive when using gasoline and electricity as power sources.
BMW has made significant efforts, like with the i3, to make the i8 as light as possible. The chassis is made of aluminum, while the passenger structure is made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). The i8 only weights 1490kg despite having 100kg of batteries. Even with all of this complicated packing, BMW was still able to maintain its distinctive 50:50 weight distribution and low center of gravity.