BMW i8 Spyder revealed ahead of CES debut in January

The Spyder will mimic its i8 Coupe sibling with an electric motor up front and 1.5-litre three-pot petrol engine at the back

The car will have a plastic body, reinforced with carbon fibre

Where do you go to see new car launches? A car show, right.

Where do you go to see the new BMW i8 convertible? Next month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, obviously.

The i8 Spyder will mimic its already existing i8 Coupe sibling by having an electric motor up front and a 1.5-litre three-pot petrol engine at the back.

It will have a plastic body, reinforced with carbon fibre – which BMW has developed to retain the strength needed for a cabrio format.

Although it’s being presented as a concept car at CES, the roofless i8 is in the last stages of production prep. BMW hopes that in showroom form, it will be able to beat the 23-mile range the Coupe version currently achieves in electric-only mode.