It’s been three years since the BMW i8 Spyder concept debuted at the 2012 Beijing motor show, and now BMW is finally getting ready to make it a reality.
In a report from German newspaper Handelsblatt, BMW CEO Harald Krueger confirmed that a production version of the top-down hybrid supercar will appear in the near future.
The Spyder version of the plug-in sports car has been delayed a number of times since it was first unveiled as a concept, despite the fact that it appeared production-ready even back then.
Featuring removable top panels and a redesigned B-pillar to accommodate the drop-top roof, the i8 Spyder nonetheless retains the same spectacular dihedral doors of the regular coupe version.
In production form, the i8 Spyder is expected to keep the same powertrain as the coupe, a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine combined with twin electric motors and a 7.1 kWh battery.
Currently, the i8 has enough juice to produce a combined output of 375 horsepower, which is able to take it from 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds, though a version with a larger battery could be on the cards.