This year, we waved goodbye to the BMW i8. Production of BMW's first plug-in hybrid ended last month to pave the way for new electric BMW i models such as the upcoming iX3 SUV and i4 premium sedan.

Sadly, the BMW i8 bowed out with little fanfare. The BMW i8's hybrid technology was revolutionary for the time and its design still looks bold and futuristic today, yet BMW didn't mark the end of its six-year production with a limited "final edition" model or celebratory video. To give the electrified sports car the send-off it deserves, German tuner DTE Systems has given the i8 a welcome power boost.

In stock form, the BMW i8's combination of a 1.5-liter inline-3 gasoline engine, an electric motor, and 11.6 kWh battery pack produces 369 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque.

Using its PowerControl RX plug-and-play chip tuning module, DTE Systems has tweaked the ECU to increase the BMW i8's output by 40 hp and 49 lb-ft of torque, bringing the total output to 409 horsepower and 469 lb-ft of torque. That should satisfy enthusiasts who think the i8 is underpowered because this now makes the i8 more powerful than its chief rival, the Porsche 911 Carrera.

No performance specifications have been provided, but the BMW i8 should be slightly quicker off the line than the standard model, which accelerates from 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds. The increased power output should reduce the sprint time to around four seconds.

Not only is the tuned BMW i8 more powerful than the standard model, but it's also more efficient. DTE Systems claims the PowerControl RX unit improves the hybrid sports car's fuel economy by 15 percent. If you want to give the i8 more power than the new 911 Carrera, DTE Systems' PowerControl RX upgrade will set you back €999 ($1,099). Sadly, BMW isn't planning to replace the i8. The Vision M Next gave us hope that BMW will launch a successor to the i8 in the future, but the production version has reportedly been canceled.