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

Here is the best look yet at the gullwing / butterfly doors which will be featured on the production BMW i8 when it hits the market in 2014. The doors appear to open in the same fashion as did the BMW i8 concept.

Judging by photos, it’s apparent that the doors will not be constructed from glass, as in the concept i8. According to Scott26, the door skins are made of CFRP, but BMW is working on applying type of film over the CFRP which can be unpainted - giving the door a smooth glass-like finish and bringing the look of the i8 concept’s glass doors without actually using glass (which are impractical for many obvious reasons).

Here is the very first spy video of the 2014 BMW i8 production prototype, giving us the first live motion look and listen at the upcoming i8 hybrid sports car. Also confirmed in the video is the retaining of the gullwing doors as seen on the concept i8 car.

Check out the video and all details on the BMW i8 inside.

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

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.

BMW i, the BMW Group’s e-mobility brand, is pioneering new approaches to marketing. BMW i is implementing innovative online activities and incorporating three new digital channels in its online communications concept through foursquare, Mashable.com and iAd. iAd is Apple’s mobile advertising network, reaching millions of iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users right in their favourite apps.

BMW i is running an iAd campaign in Europe reaching iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users in Germany, England and France. As launch partner for iAd on iPad in Europe, BMW i will be initiating an innovative campaign, which will exploit the advertising potential of the iPad and open the door to a three-dimensional world of mobility images and experiences. The BMW i3 and BMW i8 concept cars will form the … CONTINUED

The BMW i8 concept and i3 concept vehicles join the long list of BMWs making their public debuts at the Frankfurt IAA. The i8 electric hybrid sports car will launch in 2014 and the i3 electric vehicle launches earlier, in 2013.

P.S., if you look closely, you’ll see that this particular i8 concept vehicle has some early form of the recently announced laser headlight technology.