A plaque in the interior confirms that these 18 BMW i8 Roadsters (combined fuel consumption: 2.0 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 46 g/km) came off the assembly line at BMW Group Plant Leipzig one after the other and are among the first to be handed over to customers. Yesterday, at BMW Welt in Munich, the BMW i8 Club received the keys for the exclusive first edition of the breath-taking plug-in hybrid roadsters from Peter van Binsbergen, head of Sales and Marketing BMW Germany. Their first outing was to drive in convoy to Lake Como in Italy for the Concorso d’Eleganza, where they will be displayed on the grounds of the Villa Erba this weekend.
The exclusive BMW i8 Roadster First Edition, which was only available to order for a very brief period, is limited to 200 models worldwide. An exclusive interior plaque on the driver’s side of the centre console identifies the First Edition as a genuine collector’s item, inscribed with the words “First Edition” and the limited edition numbering “1 of 200”. The 18 cars received by the BMW i8 Club are among the first of these 200 models and, as a special surprise for the members, are inscribed with “1 of 18”. Special interior options, such as ceramic applications for operating controls, dry-carbon interior trim, Harman Kardon hi-fi speaker system and the BMW i8 logo projected in the footwell and when doors are open, are also included in this exclusive edition.
The presentation was an occasion not to be missed – because, even for BMW Group employees, the BMW i8 Roadster is a model with especially strong emotional appeal: Christian Ach, head of Sales and Direct Business BMW Germany, Dr. Robert Irlinger, head of the BMW i Product Line, Project Manager Rainer Rump and Robert Forrest, the designer of the BMW i8 Roadster, joined van Binsbergen in welcoming BMW i8 Club members from Germany, Switzerland, Singapore and Belgium who made the trip to Munich specially for the presentation. Club members have been fans since the beginning and did not hesitate for a second when they heard about the new BMW i8 Roadster. In addition to the official handover, the e-mobility enthusiasts also enjoyed a product presentation from Project Manager Rainer Rump and a tour of the “BMW i. Visionary Mobility” temporary exhibition at BMW Museum.
“We have been eagerly awaiting this moment for months – in fact, ever since we saw the first pictures of this gorgeous vehicle. The chance to enjoy the amazing driving experience of the Coupé in a Roadster is a dream come true for all of us,” explained Claus-Dieter Bachmann, president of the BMW i8 Club. “My fellow club members and I have been especially touched by the warm and enthusiastic welcome we have received here at BMW Welt. It has been an emotional moment we will never forget.”
“The BMW i8 Roadster represents many things that are unique about BMW: fascinating design, visionary technology and sustainable mobility, but, particularly, emotion and sheer driving pleasure,” says Peter van Binsbergen. “This sportscar was built for people like the BMW i8 Club members: absolute automobile enthusiasts who love cars and dare to defy conventions and try new things. It therefore gives me great personal pleasure to present the 18 BMW i8 Roadsters to the BMW i8 Club.”
Unlike most automobile clubs, which tend to be formed at the end of a model’s lifecycle, the BMW i8 Club was created at the time the BMW i8 Coupé was released onto the market, back in 2014. This underlines the fascination of this futuristic plug-in hybrid sportscar, which captivates car aficionados with its unique LifeDrive vehicle architecture and aesthetically pleasing BMW i design language. Since its market launch, the BMW i8 has become the world’s top-selling hybrid sportscar and won countless awards for its visionary design and ground-breaking vehicle concept. The new BMW i8 Roadster adds the experience of open-top driving to the combination of locally emission-free mobility and top-class performance.
The BMW Group is one of the leading suppliers of electrified vehicles in Germany and Europe. As part of its corporate Strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT, the BMW Group is systematically expanding its range of electric vehicles. With a total of nine electrified automobiles, the company offers the widest range of electric models in Germany. By 2025, the BMW Group plans to offer 25 electrified models, 12 of them pure electric.
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Corporate Communications BMW Group
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Product Communications BMW Automobiles
Paloma Brunckhorst, Product Communications BMW i, Paloma.Brunckhorst@bmwgroup.com,
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The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2017, the BMW Group sold over 2,463,500 passenger vehicles and more than 164,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.678 billion. As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a workforce of 129,932 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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