BMW i8 heads to Paris Motor Show with new reflective paint finishes like the latest Protonic Dark Silver
Just in case interest is beginning to dwindle, Munich-based carmaker BMW has started launching special edition versions of the i8 to give the range a bit of a kick. First came the Protonic Red Edition, launched at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.
And now the company has announced the follow up Protonic Dark Silver Edition of the BMW i8, which will debut at the Paris Motor Show next month.
More like what it replaces, the Dark Silver Edition features a highly reflective ‘Protonic’ paint finish – Protonic Blue is available from the standard colour chart. Both the existing Protonic finishes really bring out the complex surfacing of the i8’s bodywork, casting reflections and shadows. And they are extremely bright – the red is absolutely searing in bright sunlight.
As for the rest of the car, BMW says buyers can “tailor their car entirely to their own vision.” In other words, the normal i8 options catalogue is available in full.
The standard powertrain package remains in place, too. A mid-mounted, 1.5-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder engine borrowed from the Mini Cooper serves up 170kW, while the accompanying front-mounted electric motors makes 96kW, a total system output of 266kW.
Mash the gas and the i8 will sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds and run on to a limited top speed of 250km/h.
Production of the Dark Silver Edition is limited by time, rather than by numbers. Production will start in December of this year, and order books will only be open until the start of 2017.
BMW has yet to announce pricing.
