BMW i8 disguises itself as the €750k Taraschi Berardo

The BMW i8 went out of production this spring, but Italian automaker Meccanica Taraschi decided to pull it back into the spotlight with a luxury conversion named the Berardo.

Professional racing driver Berardo Taraschi used to build custom racecars in 1947 through 1961, and his son Tacio decided to revive that tradition. He had originally intended to build an all-new model, but ended up requesting the help of another tuner, 1-Off, and accepting the BMW i8 hybrid coupe as the starting point.

The German cars sports all-new bodywork and aluminum kit. At 4,980 mm (16.34 ft.), it is also 300 millimeters (12 inches) longer than stock. Other changes include the headlights and the exposed twin tailpipes. The butterfly-wing doors are still present, and the interior retains its standard set of tech features while benefitting from an opulent leather/wood makeover.

While the regular i8 can produce up to 374 PS (369 hp, or 275 kW), the Italian business promises us variants boosted to 420, 470 and 520 PS (414 / 464 / 513 hp, or 309 / 346 / 382 kW). The max speed is lifted to 280 km/h (174 mph), and new carbon-ceramic brakes should provide enough deceleration power.

There is no mention of the production quantity planned for the Taraschi Berardo, but prices will start from €750,000, which is a few times the sticker price of the BMW i8. The company says it will redirect some of the proceeds to charity purposes.