iDrive is still here too, but now features handwriting recognition, so you can doodle addresses into the sat-nav, for example. Still the i8 Roadster will do 0-100 kmph in 4.6 seconds. This helps achieve some weight loss too, but more significantly allows flexibility through a shape no forged or machined part could have been made in. Where does BMW's carbon-fiber toy fit in? Its lightweight construction and electrified powertrain may be stand-outs now but will become more commonplace now.
(A low-slung profile, typical of a sportscar, the BMW i8 Roadster has terrific road presence). Combined output is therefore 369 bhp. Of course, unlike an R8, NSX or even Carrera GT, there’s no meaty engine to display behind the cabin. (The Comfort setting is the car's default mode, but you can switch to Sport or Eco Pro. Logos © 1996. New BMW i8 Roadster expert review by CAR magazine UK, with prices, specs, dimensions and verdict. Here's what you need to know about electric car battery recycling. Those buttresses produce sizeable blind spots, too, and with no electric blind-spot monitoring, it's worth double-checking the mirrors before merging.

You get a three-pin plug and fast charger capability with a Type 2 cable, while charge times range from roughly four and a half hours from a standard three-pin setup to less than two hours for an 80 per cent top-up, and so is the extra element that buyers will be looking for here thanks to that electrically operated roof. As a result, there’s 364bhp on tap, which is plenty given the i8 Roadster only weighs 60kg more than the Coupe, coming in at 1,595kg. Ahead is an electric motor that can send 141 horsepower and 184 pound-feet to the front wheels by way of a two-speed automatic. The regular default drive mode is Comfort, and you can also opt for Eco Pro - just like other BMWs of course. The i8 in all its forms is Congestion Charge-exempt if you’ll be travelling into London, while a claimed electric range of up to 33 miles on a full charge (just one mile down on the Coupe) is a useful boost.
As to safety technology, the i8 features pre-collision warning and braking, parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system. Gallery: Ferrari's mighty 710bhp supercar slides its way through Anglesey... BMW i8 Roadster review: hybrid convertible's first test. Still, this is the i8's huge advantage over a traditional supercar: Silence and zero-emissions motoring when you're just ambling around town. Without a roof, heat from the original car’s bonnet vent found its way into the cabin, so the new Roadster vents it under the car. It still looks great, but under the surface small changes make it a tighter, more intuitive and more rewarding car to push than its predecessor. Home Reviews. , a car that set a template for electrified sports cars, combining an efficient petrol engine with plug-in power for high performance. And so overall the Roadster is just 60 kgs heavier than the coupe, which is rather remarkable. In 2018, BMW added an open-top variant to the line-up to give buyers more choice. And even when a Spyder concept was shown, the company had no intention of building one as it was seen as being just too expensive to develop.

The roof is made of a special fabric but is supported by an entire panel that sits below the cloth, giving the roof structure. The Roadster was always meant to provide all the things any convertible does - the wind in your hair and the sun warming your spirits, while enjoying the exhilaration of ample performance capability. All rights reserved.

CAR's online editor and racing-sim enthusiast, ► New BMW i8 Roadster review► Same petrol engine, upgraded EV power► BMW gets it right second time around. The main change to the Roadster is the removal of the car’s roof, but the i8’s striking design doesn’t suffer for it. The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes. BBC Studios is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). BBC is a trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Left in the aforementioned Auto eDrive mode, the BMW's computers regularly fire up the gas engine, mainly to provide more oomph. That's using a fast charger, and so a domestic outlet will charge the car to full in 4.5 hours. Where the i8 coupe has teensy back seats, the Roadster instead has a modest storage space. Great for supercar drama, less so for finding a suitable parking space. (Extra storage on the Roadster since there are no rear seats. The i8's most important technical detail is its 11.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, which can be charged up at a Level 2 charger about three hours. I spent $0.64 at a public ChargePoint plug for a full charge. Behind the front seats is a surprise - you get extra storage space - 90 litres of it - that can house a carry-on suitcase or your laptop/hand bag. One particularly ambitious gentleman came to a stop next to me on his bicycle, and offered to exchange out rides! It's quite important you know where the wind-blocker button is because buffeting on the highway is noticeable. Read the definitive BMW i8 Roadster 2020 review from the expert What Car?