BMW i8 Production Ends With 18 Uniquely Colored Cars

BMW i8 production has come to an end, but the Germans made sure the hybrid sports car went out with a bang by making each of the final 18 examples in unique colors. These were shades that were never before applied to the vehicle during its production run.

BMW said that building 18 cars consecutively in a one-off color posed a challenge. It forced technicians to paint them by hand. The company also had to work with suppliers to get some components in the custom shade.

"For BMW i8 production to end with a finale like this is something we can all be very proud of," Hans-Peter Kemser, the director of the factory, said.

Many of the customers for these final vehicles belonged to the BMW i8 Club International. Some of these members were present when the vehicles rolled off the assembly line.

The final vehicle of the production run was an i8 Roadster in Portimao Blue. Over the six-year production run, BMW built around 20,500 examples of the i8.

While the i8 wasn't a massive sales success, it's future on the second-hand market could be fascinating. The relatively low production run, eye-catching appearance, and brisk performance might be a recipe for a future collector's item. With production beginning in 2018, there are even fewer units of the i8 Roadster versus the coupe out there.

There's no sign of BMW replacing the i8 with another hybrid sports car on a dedicated chassis. However, the brand is rapidly adding plug-in-hybrid models to the lineup. Just in 2020, there's the introduction of the 330e, X2 xDrive25e, and X5 xDrive45e. Even more PHEVs and EVs are on the way because of stricter emissions rules forcing the company to build cleaner powertrains.