Ah, the BMW i8. Every time we write about this car, the comments are filled with people who either hate it or love it. It’s great, some say (see also: me). It’s overpriced garbage, grouse others. Well, the debates could very well be coming to an end, as the i8's production will cease in April.
I guess it’s about time since the i8 did come out in the far back time of 2014. Word of the i8's demise comes via Autocar. It didn’t manage to nail down an exact date for when production would end, but a company spokesperson told the outlet, “UK customers interested in a built-to-order car will need to have placed their order with their local retailer by the end of February.”
A BMW spokesperson confirmed the i8's production end to us via email.
Say what you want about the i8, but you cannot deny its style. Yes, the rear looks a little like it is pooping out a 911, but still! It has a futuristic face and is wedge-shaped with swoopy doors and a hybrid powertrain. It is also one of only two mid-ship 2+2 coupes available on the market. The other is a Lotus Evora.
The only real issue I could see about the i8 was its price. The one we tested out started at $147,500, which is a lot of money for a car that doesn’t even have 400 horsepower. The i8 has a very appropriate amount of power, but when you ask for that amount of cash for it, you also kind of have to have the performance numbers to back it up. I don’t make the rules.
No, the i8's price definitely comes from the fact it has a carbon fiber monocoque chassis. That chassis makes it extremely light, stiff and rigid, but also very expensive.
But regardless of the price or the performance, the i8 is at least a departure from the rest of BMW’s current lineup, which is quite over-saturated with crossovers and M-branded stuff.
It’s unclear what will replace the i8. Autocar thinks a new sports car that’s based on the Vision M Next concept “is expected to arrive within the next five years.”
Update 11:40 a.m. EST: A BMW spokesperson confirmed the i8's death. This post and headline have been updated accordingly.