Rendered: BMW i8 Spyder

By Manuel Carrillo III - September 25, 2013

Now that the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid has been revealed to the public, let’s move on to the future. A look into the Photoshop crystal ball reveals the BMW i8 Spyder you see above.

Said to be coming out next year, the BMW i8 Spyder will offer the same powertrain setup as the coupe; that means a 1.5L TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder pumping 231 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed automatic to the rear wheels. A 131-horsepower electric motor will drive the front wheels via what BMW calls a “two-stage automatic transmission”. Combine all the internal combustion and electric forces, and you get 362 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque.

The heavier open-top i8 is expected to lag a couple of tenths behind the coupe in performance tests. Naught to 60 should take about 4.6 seconds. Fuel economy will remain around 94 mpg combined. Electric-only range would be about 22 miles.

Expect the BMW i8 Spyder plug-in hybrid to cost $150,000.