Auction records are being set left and right at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and BMW’s i8 is the latest lavish champion.
The Concours d’Elegance edition of BMW’s popular hybrid sold for $825,000 at Pebble Beach, setting the auction record for this particular car. BMW USA’s president, Ludwig Willisch, presented the one-of-a-kind vehicle alongside TV host and car collector Jay Leno. Unlike his show, however, the auction actually ended when it was supposed to, so don’t expect Leno to bring the car back for a do-over.
The special edition‘s auction price was over six times the $135,700 MSRP of the standard car, which arrives in the U.S. in the fall. What did this particular buyer get for the generous markup?
The Concours d’Elegance edition wears exclusive Frozen Grey Metallic paint and laser headlights outside, while Dalbergia Brown leather, i Blue stitching, and plant extract-dyed surfaces adorn the interior. The buyer will also get a charging station of a set of Louis Vuitton luggage, because the car clearly needs another symbol for overspending.
Mechanically, the car is unaltered, but the BMW i8’s stock specs are already pretty impressive. Its 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder is mated with an efficient electric motor, producing 362 horsepower and a stunning 113 mpg.
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Proceeds of the sale will go to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, which raises money for Monterey County youth programs like art, athletics, environmental science and more.
If the i8’s impressive numbers (it can hit 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds) aren’t quite impressive enough for you, BMW is reportedly developing a hardcore successor to the hybrid called the i9. Also an homage to the legendary M1, the i9 will reportedly use beefed-up i8 components and have a 0 to 60 mph time of under 4 seconds.
