BMW i8 Spyder on track for 2019
We’re getting an up-close look today at the 2019 BMW i8 Spyder, which appears ready for production. We saw the open-air hybrid supercar in February testing in the snow, and today we’re seeing it cruising during warmer conditions, though the top is still up.
The Spyder will grow the i8 lineup beyond the scissor-door coupe. It looks like the open-air model will use a targa-style roof. Otherwise, it appears identical to the hardtop, with futuristic design punctuated by flashy wheels and piercing LED headlights. There’s also a Canadian flag and the word “Bruno,” likely for BMW factory driver Bruno Spengler, on the roof pillar. Maybe he’s helping out with the testing.
Naturally, it will share underpinnings with the fixed-roof i8, employing an aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic cell. The i8 coupe has a total hybrid output of 357 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, enabling sprints to 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds.
You might remember we named named the i8 the 2014 Technology of the Year. The Spyder will likely debut later this year, perhaps at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
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