BMW i8 Spyder Delayed Until 2017 Or 2018

The upcoming production-spec i8 Spyder has reportedly been pushed back for a

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by Brad Anderson

January 24, 2016 at 11:58

The upcoming production-spec i8 Spyder has reportedly been pushed back for a number of reasons.

A number of i8 Spyder concepts have already been released, most recently with the Vision Future Interaction at CES.According to Australian publication Motoring, the droptop i8 won’t arrive until 2017 at the earliest, or even 2018.

A senior BMW source revealed that the i8 Spyder will become a reality, but considering the commercial success of the existing i8 as well testing of other i models, the project has been put on the backburner.

Most likely, the German company is concentrating on its Tesla Model S rival that is tipped to be dubbed the i5.

Whenever it comes, the i8 Spyder it will use the plug-in hybrid powertrain of the coupe that combines a turbocharged 1.5-liter petrol engine with an electric motor and a 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack for a total of 362 hp.

Thanks to its carbon fiber underpinnings the Spyder will have very little, if any, structural changes to compensate for the removal of the fixed top.