BMW’s highly anticipated i8 plugin electric hybrid sports car is not due until 2014 but CAR claims to already have the skinny on the production i8’s specs and performance data, as follows.
Powertrain / Drivetrain
The gullwinged production i8 is reported to weigh 1,450kg (3,196 pounds). Its 170hp electric motor drives the front wheels while a 223hp / 295lb-ft turbo 1.5L 3-cylinder engine powers the rear wheels. Combined hp and torque figures are 393hp / 406lb-ft torque, more horsepower than the concept’s 349 hp and the same torque figure.
Performance is said to be 4.9sec 0-62mph and a 156mph top speed.
With the ability to be front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, or all-wheel drive, as well as having torque vectoring, the i8’s transmission will be one impressive piece of … CONTINUED
Although this pre-production i8 tracks the concept version’s styling generally, as expected, there are some significant changes from the i8 concept model [official info/pics]. The front fascia has lost a bit of its shark nose front slant with a new lower front bumper design, which protrudes more than that on the concept. Also, the headlights have been moved forward to the edge of the hood. This comes as no surprise considering the fact that the extremely deeply set headlights on the concept i8 would likely limit the area which the headlights can illuminate. The headlights will join the kidney grilles at the sides, just as seen on the F30 3 series.
The hood and windshield are now more traditional and the windshield no longer joins the hood … CONTINUED
What we know about BMW’s aggressive push into the electric car market (via their dedicated BMW i brand) is that it is essentially a two pronged approach. Cover the exotic sports car market with the BMW i8, to effectively show that an electric car can be a desirable super-car and at the same time produce a compact and efficient city car with the BMW i3.
While both of these cars will do alot to put electric cars into the mindset of car buyers and enthusiasts, the real car market is the mainstream people mover: the family sedan. Autobild.de is reporting that somewhere around year 2015, BMW plans to introduce the BMW i5, a fully electric mid-size people mover that will take a more cross-over shape of the … CONTINUED
BMW teases its future BMW i3 smartphone app on its facebook page ahead of the i3’s market launch in 2013.
Looking like something out of tron, the slick looking app will allow monitoring of the i3’s battery charge status, lock/unlock doors from the smartphone, schedule a trip time so that the i3 can thermal precondition ahead of time, and a smart charging mode which presumably sets the i3 to charge when household electricity usage is lowest or most affordable.
There is also a navigation feature with charging station and public transport info.
We bring you the first spy photos of the BMW i8 production prototype model. Seen for the first time, this pre-production BMW i8 mule shows what the i8 will look like with production body parts and styling.
Comparison to i8 Concept Model:
Although this pre-production i8 tracks the concept version’s styling generally, as expected, there are some significant changes from the i8 concept model [official info/pics]. The front fascia has lost a bit of its shark nose front slant with a new lower front bumper design, which protrudes more than that on the concept. Also, the headlights have been moved forward to the edge of the hood. This comes as no surprise considering the fact that the extremely deeply set headlights on the concept i8 would likely limit … CONTINUED
Many of you may remember seeing photos of the BMW i8 and i3 spied at an official BMW photo shoot in downtown Chicago back in August, representing the first real life pics of the i8 and i3 in public.
BMW now shares a making-of video from the Chicago photo session. Click through below for some nice looks at the i8 and i3 on the streets.
The BMW i8 Concept Car joined the lead cast of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol on the red carpet of the film’s U.S. premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City on Monday, December 19, 2011. Several BMW vehicles - including the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics, the concept car for the BMW i8 and the BMW 6 Series Convertible - are driven by Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, and prominently featured in several key action sequences throughout the film.
We bring you the first spy videos of the BMW i8 in cold weather testing runs. The live motion view gives us even more impressions of the future hybrid sports car and it looks sleeker and lower than ever. View videos inside.
BMW just announced its new sub-brand - the BMW i. The first two cars of the new brand will be the BMW i3 and the BMW i8. The i3 is the production version of the Mega City Vehicle, the i8 the production version of the Vision Efficient Dynamics. Both cars will be built at the Leipzig Plant. The i3 launches in 2013, the i8 shortly after.
