BMW i8

FIRST DRIVE Hi-tech plug-in hybrid loses its roof. But has it gained extra appeal over the Coupé?

- Alex Ingram

BMW has revised its i8 for 2018, introducing an all-new open-top version. The i8 Roadster sits alongside a revised Coupé, losing the latter’s solid roof and back seats, while gaining 60kg and an additional £12,000 on the price. But does that add up to a worthy trade?

The extra mass is a result of structural work to the carbon-fibre passenger cell. There are a few extra layers of carbon fibre around the windscreen and extra panels provide a stronger location for the Roadster’s rear suspension.

Elsewhere, the Roadster’s DSC system and adaptive dampers get unique tuning. Overall the i8 soft-top tips the scales at 1,595kg; hardly portly for a hybrid sports car with show-stopping gull wing doors. The new roof is almost as spectacular as it delicately glides out of sight in a matter of seconds. It’s stored vertically where the back seats would be in the Coupé, and frees up an extra 92 litres of storage.