Los Angeles is the place to be at the end of this month for car lovers as there’s going to be a motor show there chock-full of great new debuts. One of the hottest of these debuts is the new 2019 BMW i8 Roadster shown in full production trim. As you would expect, with the official reveal around the corner, we are treated to some intriguing previews. 

The latest teaser material shows the i8 Roadster during its test and development phases where the open-top EV is put through a series of rigorous performance, quality, and durability tests. Now, you may think you already know how this car looks because you have seen the concept. But judging by what we can see here there are going to be a few surprises in store. The Roadster will get a facelift compared to the existing model with cooler headlights an modified body parts as a result of the roof having been chopped off.

Speaking of the roof, BMW i8 Roadster features a folding soft top that, according to reports, takes about 15 seconds to go or down and it can be operated at speeds up to 60 km/h. As for the power and performance, there are some rumors about the Roadster not being as efficient as the Coupe what with being an open-top car and all. But a long as the 400 hp output rumor turns out to be true I don’t think anyone’s going to mind a slight drop in average fuel consumption or electric range. In fact, not may of the people who buy the i8 Coupe do it for the efficiency. What sells these cars is the spaceship-like design, and in that sense the Roadster is a much hotter proposition.