A regular car buyer has to spend about $135,700 USD to acquire the new BMW i8, but yesterday one of the plug-in hybrids sold for the impressive $835,000 USD instead.
The special edition i8 was up for auction at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and only one bidder was willing to spend $825,000 USD to acquire this vehicle, setting a record for the brand-new vehicle. The car was specifically presented as a celebration of the i8’s arrival in the United States.
The special edition variant is painted in what BMW refers to as “Frozen Gray Metallic,” while the interior features contrasting Dalbergia Brown leather upholstery that is dyed using plant extracts and stitched with blue accents. The seatbelts are also blue and the cabin features laser-etched stitching that reads “Concours d’Elegance Edition.”
The most important part of this vehicle, aside from its supercar exclusivity, is the plug-in hybrid engine that underlines BMW’s growing commitment to the electric-vehicle segment.
The high price tag that was paid for this car did not only include the i8, but also a large charity donation. Proceeds from the event, hosted by Jay Leno, will go towards the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, which raises funds for Monterey County youth projects and organizes grants for arts, athletics, environmental sciences, educational organizations and community programs.
This event also marked the date of delivery for the i8’s first United States’ customers, including a long list of tech-savvy CEOs from all over the automotive industry.
It is still hard to predict when Canadian customers will be able to get their hands on an i8, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the delivery may take years.
