It turns out that even if you can afford an i8 and want to buy one in the US, it may not be as easy as you might have thought. We can’t say what kind of demand it will stir up yet, but with only 500 examples hitting Stateside shores this year; first ones begin arriving in August, costing upward of $136,625.

For the US buyer, Ludwig Willsch, BMW North America CEO, is relying on the car’s green credentials to tip the scales in its favor and make it a desirable purchase among well off yet green-thumbed Americans.

He told Autonews that it’s not only the very low carbon footprint of the car that will be attractive, but also the emphasis on the performance it can achieve (unofficially zero to sixty comes up in under four seconds). On top of that, what Willsch thinks will seal the deal are the recycled materials used throughout.

AutoNews reminds us that, “most of the aluminum used in the i8 is recycled or produced using renewable energy,” and features such innovative solutions as a lightweight magnesium instrument panel.

By Andrei Nedelea

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