In 2018 BMW will welcome the third member of its i family - the i8 Roadster.
The i8 plug-in hybrid broke new ground in the sports car segment when it arrived in New Zealand in 2014, and in 2018 the same thing looks set to happen when a new roofless model will be released.
The first i8 coupe made a real impression on us here at Driven, and the new Roadster looks set to continue that theme. It will be one of the first open-top hybrid plug-in sports cars to be available locally, with BMW hinting at full-electric mode offering 'virtually silent' driving and 'zero local emissions.'
The new Roadster version also appears to feature redesigned headlights and new bumpers front and rear.
BMW aren't revealing too much just yet about the new model, but the newly-released video does confirm the door type.
There has been much speculation to whether the “butterfly doors” from the Coupe would be carried over to the Roadster, and the video confirms the same configuration will appear on the Roadster.
The engine is one aspect BMW are certainly in no rush to confirm.
The turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder fitted in the 2014 coupe produced 266kW of power and 570Nm of torque, accelerating from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds. Those performance numbers will almost certainly increase, with the 0-100km/h time falling closer to the sub-three second mark.
BMW is planning to launch the new i8 Roadster in early 2018, full details on the new two-door soft-top will be released closer to that time.