Over 1,000 people have already signed the dotted line to purchase one.
Nearly two months ago, the Roadster was produced in Germany at the Leipzig factory. BMW is already eager to discuss ways to increase demand for its plug-in hybrid droptop. Although there are more than 1000 pre-orders, the initial demand for the Avant-Garde Roadster is strong. However, the Bavarians know that they need to do more down the road to maintain its popularity. How? A series of special editions were created in the same way as the pre-facelifted i8 Coupe.
During the international launch of i8 Spyder, Marcus Pluntke (HTMO_ i8 product manger) made the announcement. When asked if BMW was taking preemptive measures to counter the anticipated sales decline following initial rollout, Pluntke replied that BMW was.
“You may have heard about the Editions that we did for the I8 so far last year and the previous year?”
He was referring specifically to the coupe’s special editions, such as the i8Frozen Edition (pictured on the left) which was launched in 2017, and the i8 Protonic Dark Silver Edition (pictured center) that was available a year earlier. As part of its centenary celebrations, BMW Japan also released an i8 Celebration Edition in 2016.
You won’t find the same level of customization offered by BMW Individual as in other BMWs. This is because the Leipzig factory isn’t as flexible in tweaking the assembly line to accommodate the electrified models. These special editions will not have major changes, such as new trim options or paint finishes.
BMW is working with Leipzig to integrate the Individual program. It is also building the 2 Series Active Tourer and the 225xe hybrid model. The M2-replacing HTML2 Competition is also produced at the same plant. It will be available alongside the 2 Series Coupe or Convertible. Leipzig also sees the birth of the 1 Series, the company’s entry-level vehicle.
Recall that the future of the i3 & i8 are uncertain , as BMW hasn’t decided if the two will survive to see a new generation.