The BMW i8 Roadster has been introduced for the Malaysian market. BMW's flagship hybrid sports car in its open top form had been unveiled at the Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI) 2018, at which BMW Malaysia is the official E-Mobility partner. The event saw many BMW Plug-in Hybrids acting as official cars for the event. This is the first-ever i8 Roadster and hopefully will spawn many more generations of open top i8 Roadsters to come.
Much like the BMW i8 Coupe variant, the 1595kg BMW i8 Roadster runs a hybrid petrol / electric motor powertrain which produces 374 hp in total. The only real difference is the lack of a roof. This is always a good thing in terms of having that airiness that comes with open top motoring. But even without a roof, the all-wheel drive BMW i8 Roadster can still reach 0-100kmh in 4.6 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.
Its efficient nature also allows it to have a combined fuel consumption of 2.0litres per 100 kilometres. So it is silent, fast and fuel saving at the same time. Not many exotic sports cars can do all that at the same time...and it has the luxury of having that limitless headroom once you drive it topless (the car...not you).
It should be since it is BMW's flagship hybrid sports car. The First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster's Malaysian launch was also officiated by the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, Yeo Bee Yin at the conference. It will cost those who are interested RM 1,508,800.00 on the road, without insurance, onwards.
Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia said this of the first-ever BMW i8 Roadster, “The First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster is the ultimate icon for Mobility of the Future. The open-top hybrid two-seater sports car redefines driving enthusiasm, freedom and demonstrates e-Mobility as the visionary way forward for the convertible sports cars segment.”
It is interesting that BMW Malaysia has chosen to unveil its flagship Roadster at a conference pertaining to energy. Something different from the norm and something the people who attended CEPSI 2018 would remember. Much more interesting than just solar panels. Of course, this is saving the planet stuff, folks!
Details of the new BMW i8 Roadster are down below...
BMW MALAYSIA's BMW i8 ROADSTER Product Brief:
The First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster is equipped with the most acclaimed features placing it
in a league of its own. This year, BMW i8 scored its fourth consecutive win of the
International Engine of the Year Award since 2015, a well-deserved recognition of BMW
i8’s supremely designed drivetrain. Furthermore, a string of prestigious accolades,
including the iF Design Award and the Red Dot Award, testify to the quality and allure of
the brand-new LifeDrive architecture for BMW i models.
Emotion-packed design, a character all of its own.
The First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster imbues emotional appeal in its spectacular design, by
carrying over the BMW i design language into a distinctive vehicle concept. The taut
soft-top roof has a visual lightness to go with its low physical weight and serves as a
defining element of the silhouette in reinforcing the road-hugging impression made by
the car’s low centre of gravity. The body’s dynamic wedge shape can also be best
appreciated when viewing the two-seater in profile. A “Roadster” designation is attached
on the C-pillar.
When opened, the First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster’s broad roof retracts fully into the rear
end. A unique mechanism allows the soft-top to be folded into a compact package and
stowed away in a perpendicular position, creating around 100 litres of additional storage
space behind the seats. The all-electric roof opens and closes quietly in 15 seconds, a
process which can be initiated while travelling at up to 50 km/h. Dropping down the roof
raises the rear window by around 30 millimetres, where it can also serve as a wind
deflector that reduces turbulence for the occupants. The height of the fully retractable
rear window can be varied as desired at the touch of a button in the cockpit.
The Icon of a New Era features a brand new LifeDrive vehicle architecture which offers
a horizontally split structure comprising an aluminium chassis and a carbon-fibre-
reinforced polymer (CFRP) passenger cell to offer an exceptional degree of design
freedom. This clever engineering trick enables the optimal positioning of the necessary
drive components to ensure the best possible handling, in addition to ensuring a
noticeable weight advantage with the carbon passenger cell.
The open-top two-seater comes with newly designed frameless gullwing doors made
from CFRP with an aluminium outer shell, while the windscreen frame is made entirely
from CFRP. This ultra-strong high-tech material is ideally equipped to provide
exceptional rigidity, maximising the car’s occupant protection even if it rolls over. CFRP
is also used to manufacture the side skirts with their extra-large cross-section. Additional
struts and panels in the front and rear axles also help to maximise the body’s rigidity.
The unladen weight of the First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster stands at 1,595 kilograms, a
remarkably low figure for an open-top car.
Hybrid-specific all-wheel drive, precision-tuned chassis.
The electric motor’s power is transmitted to the front wheels and the engine’s drive to
the rear wheels, resulting in a hybrid-specific all-wheel-drive system that is controlled by
the car’s intelligent energy management. In hybrid mode, the electric motor provides a
power boost to assist the engine when the driver is accelerating with particular vigour. It
is also able to recuperate energy and feed it to the high-voltage battery on overrun and
under braking. The petrol engine’s high-voltage starter-generator can likewise generate
additional reserves of electricity, thereby ensuring sufficient energy is on tap at all times
for the electric drive system.
When the navigation system’s route guidance function is activated, the intelligent energy
management ensures the electric motor is employed as extensively and judiciously as
possible from an efficiency point of view. The system analyses the route in full and sets
up the powertrain management to run on purely electric power, particularly over low-
speed sections of the journey.
The model-specific tuning of the suspension and damping systems, the specially
configured steering characteristics, a firmer roll stabilisation set-up and targeted
modification of the DSC parameters together guarantee that the First-Ever BMW i8
Roadster retains all the plug-in hybrid sports car’s trademark handling and performance
qualities. Dynamic Stability Control is included as standard. The standard 20-inch light-
alloy wheels feature a lightweight construction, with each weighing around one kilogram
less than the lightest wheels previously offered for the BMW i8.
Engine with optimised emissions.
The internal combustion engine has also undergone further optimisation. The three-
cylinder unit extracts maximum output of 170 kW/231 hp from its displacement of just
1.5 litres, along with a peak torque of 320 Nm. In the process, it generates an even
sportier soundtrack. A particulate filter is now fitted to further reduce emissions by
absorbing the particulate matter contained in the exhaust gases.
The system output produced by the electric motor and engine acting in unison is now
275 kW/374 hp, enabling an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. The First-Ever
BMW i8 Roadster accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. Its combined fuel
consumption stands at 2.0 litres per 100 kilometres, and 14.5 kWh of electrical energy
per 100 kilometres. Petrol CO 2 emissions come in at 46 grams per kilometre.
Optimised BMW eDrive technology: more power, longer range – a further
enhanced electric driving experience.
The rigorously developed BMW eDrive technology and optimised intelligent energy
management lead to a significant increase in the number of driving situations where the
electric motor can be solely responsible for powering the car. This underscores the
ground-breaking character of the First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster and ensures drivers enjoy
silent and locally emission-free open-top motoring to the full.
Underpinning this new level of electric driving experience is an updated version of the
lithium-ion battery developed for the BMW i8. The high-voltage unit is located centrally
in the car’s underbody. Its cell capacity has increased to 33 Ah from the previous 20 Ah,
and gross energy capacity has risen to 11.6 kWh from 7.1 kWh, all of which means the
electric motor has more energy at its disposal. The cell configuration allows a peak
output of 105 kW/143 hp, making quick sprints possible on pure-electric power.
In the standard driving mode, the First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster can be driven exclusively
on the electric motor alone – from step-off to a speed of 105 km/h. The combustion
engine is only brought into play at higher speeds or when the driver stamps down hard
on the accelerator, and is switched off again far more frequently when a measured
driving style is maintained. Pressing the eDrive button allows travel at up to 120 km/h on
electric power alone. The electric range of the First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster reaches 53
kilometres.
Innovative interior with exclusive equipment.
The interior of the First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster continues the progressive design of the
exterior with a classic BMW i8 drive orientation in line with the sporty, dynamic concept.
The upper centre console to the instrument panel curves toward the driver in an acute
12-degree angle. All controls and display elements are within perfect reach of the driver
and easy to read. The open-pored CFRP Carbon trim on the centre console, door
handle and dashboard inlay, the ceramic controls with an embossed i8 logo on the
iDrive Controller, and the ceramic finish on the gear selection lever add a futuristic touch
to the interior. The immediately impactful environment gives the driver the impression of
being one with the car.
The cockpit is fitted out with the BMW Head-up Display that changes to a sports display
that includes revs, gears and shift lights when performing manual gear changes in
SPORT mode. Other standard specifications include leather sports steering wheel with
multifunction buttons and shift paddles, electrically adjustable seats, the multifunctional
instrument display, the Driving Assistant including Surround View, and the Navigation
System Professional. The main menu in the Control Display is now presented in the
form of horizontally arranged tiles with a live mode.
The BMW Connected also comes standard, providing access and information to the
current charge status, the range and departure time, helping the driver search for
charging stations, and having it sent directly to the vehicle, access to the efficiency
rating of the last trip, tutorials for particularly efficient driving, and the CO 2 calculator. The
BMW Connected personal mobility assistant interfaces the vehicle with the customer’s
selected touchpoints, such as a smartphone or smartwatch.
The First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster comes in Exterior E-Copper with Accaro interior
design, and will be available at authorised BMW i dealerships from 19 th September
2018.
Dynamic Financial Programme.
With the Balloon Financing Plan from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia, the
First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster can be owned with monthly instalment plans starting from
RM 17,268.00 (based on estimates of an 80% loan on a five-year tenure).
Complete Premium Ownership Experience.
Customers of the First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster can also experience the complete BMW
Group Malaysia Premium Ownership experience which includes:
BMW 5-Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Free Scheduled Service
Program.
BMW 2-Year/ 24 Month Tyre Warranty Program for its Run Flat Tyre
offering and services.
BMW Roadside Assistance and Accident Hotline.
The BMW Group Loyalty+ Mobile App - BMW White Card.
BMW Service Online.
The retail price (on the road, without insurance) for the First-Ever BMW i8
Roadster starts from:
The First-Ever BMW i8 Roadster – RM 1,508,800.00
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