news: BMW confirms i8 cabrio

2018 model yearfacelift will bring comvertible range topper

Facelifting the BMW i8 might sound a little like touching up the canvas cracks in The Hay Wain or getting stuck into Le Penseur with a bucket of grout. But much as it might appear to be a work of art, the neo-iconic hybrid supercar is like any other model – and next year, it’s going to get a range revision.

The changes will include updates to the electric motor and turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine which between them are expected to increase overall output to something like 420bhp. There’ll be greater interactivity in the multimedia offering, too, with gesture control coming to the party.

But the biggest news is that there’s a convertible i8 on the way. BMW showed a concept version of just such a car in 2012, so this is hardly a surprise – and it wouldn’t exactly knock your socks off if the car were to be named the i8 Spyder, what with that being what the concept was called.

It’s expected that the ragtop i8 will be unveiled to the world late next year, with sales commencing in 2018. The facelift will likely coincide with a price hike, too – and with the Spyder set to sit on top of the range, that means you could be looking at £110,000 or more to put one in your garage.

AUTOCAR