BMW Says i8 Will Go Down In History As World’s Most Successful Electrified Sports Car

BMW‘s i8 hybrid sports car first went into production in May of 2014 at the carmaker’s Leipzig plant, and is now scheduled to end its product life cycle next month.

According to the Bavarian brand, the i8 will go down in history as the world’s most successful sports car with an electrified drivetrain, which it very well might thanks to more than 20,000 units sold, each costing roughly $150,000 or more.

The i8 made its world premiere at the IAA motor show in 2013, where it was joined by the urban-friendly i3 model. The two helped BMW pave the way for all the plug-in hybrid variants currently being sold by them, from compact and mid-size models, through X models, sports cars and luxury sedans.

Read Also: BMW i8 Production Reaches 20,000 Units, Will End In April After Six Years

The BMW Group wants to expand its range to 25 electrified models by the year 2023, where more than half will run on battery power alone, sans an internal combustion unit.

Among the i8’s accolades, we count its role as the Safety Car in the FIA Formula E Championship, as well as the fact that its plug-in hybrid drive won at least one award five times in a row (2015-2019). Along the way, the i8 won several other awards, including from top publications such as Top Gear magazine and Auto, Motor und Sport.

BMW’s Leipzig plant is currently producing the 200 units of the i8’s limited Ultimate Sophisto Edition, which means that the i8 has technically outstripped many legendary BMW sports cars in terms of sales. For example, classics such as the M1 or the Z8 roadster were only built 399 and 5,000 times, respectively.

Additionally, the i8 has held a global market share of more than 50% in its segment, where it will remain on top until the middle of next month.

Can I have a used one?

Generally speaking, there’s no shortage of used i8 and i8 roadster models on the market, so yes. According to Autotrader, a relatively low-mileage variant will set you back at least $65,000 – $70,000, depending on spec and model year. Meanwhile, something with only a few hundred miles on the clock will still cost you over $100,000, like this E-Copper Metallic model.