What was first seen just a few short years ago as a concept car, is now very real as the first 10 customers have taken delivery of their BMW i8 luxury performance hybrid coupes at a private event in Pebble Beach. The party was hosted by BMW’s chairman Ludwig Willisch at a private villa in the estate and the guests were treated to a dinner by world-renowned chef Thomas Keller.
The customer list reads like a who’s who of American automotive and business royalty and includes the Captain, Roger Penske, NASCAR owner extraordinaire, Rick Hendrick, Tony Fadell, Founder and CEO of Nest, John Hendricks, Founder of Discovery Networks and Miles Nadal, CEO MDC Parters, one of the worlds largest advertising holding companies among others.
Pursuitist was invited to Pebble Beach by BMW and given an i8 to drive for the weekend. We were also part of a reception the previous night where we were able to view the cars being prepared for their new owners while chatting with BMW executives about the event.
Mr. Willisch was thrilled to deliver these cars to their new owners saying, “Today marks an exciting day for BMW of North America, as we take another step towards furthering sustainable mobility with the BMW i8, the plug-in hybrid sports car made with carbon fiber. We are proud to see the i8, the second of BMW i’s visionary vehicles, enter the market.”
In addition to delivering i8s to their first customers, a special Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance edition i8 will be auctioned off by Jay Leno on Saturday night. The car painted in a special “Frozen Grey” that looks terrific in person, also includes a custom designed set of Louis Vuitton Luggage that we were able to inspect first hand, and can say it adds a great deal to the value of the package. Interested parties can register online with Gooding and bid remotely to win this one of a kind car.
We will bring you more first hand stories from Pebble Beach about BMW and other luxury car brands as they unfold.
(C) Exclusive Pursuitist photos.
