Automakers have thrown their considerable weights behind green technology. This comes as no surprise given the seemingly ever climbing gas prices and stringent future CAFE standards. Electric driven vehicles, such as plug-in hybrids are gaining popularity amid these concerns. But does green technology spell the end of performance sports cars? Not if manufacturers such as BMW, Porsche, and even an upstart such Fisker Automotive have a say.

The two German powerhouses and American newcomer are each set to produce their own eco-friendly yet exotic, sleek, low slung plug-in hybrid sports cars. Porsche’s offering is the Porsche 918 Spyder, a hybrid super car starting at $845,000. The Fisker Karma comes in at the other end of the price spectrum and starts at $95900. The just introduced BMW i8 … CONTINUED

See the BMW i8 hybrid sports car in video and get some more insight into its overall design philosophy, aerodynamics, center information display, and plug-in hybrid technology.

A new chapter in driving efficiency+performance was kicked off this morning in Frankfurt Germany as the BMW i8 and i3 concept cars were revealed and introduced. For official details and media on the i8 and i3 see our official threads.

Courtesy of Motorauthority, here are some live photos of the i8 concept and i3 concept, from the Frankfurt unveiling.

The production-intent BMW i8 Concept has been revealed today at a BMW i event in Frankfurt, Germany. The BMW i8 will be BMW’s first high performance hybrid-electric sports car. The i8 features a high performance 3-cylinder petrol engine in the rear, coupled with the BMW i3’s electric motor in the front. Total torque of 550 Nm (300Nm petrol engine + 250 Nm electric motor), moving around just 1,480 kg. 0-100kph (62mph) in just 4.6 seconds and top speed of 250kph (limited). All just consuming 2.7 L/100km fuel. Full details, wallpapers, and videos inside.

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.

Saturday evening saw the launch of teaser communications for the new BMW sub-brand. Light installations and video projections illuminated BMW Group buildings around the Petuelring road in the north of Munich. The four-cylinder building, BMW Welt and BMW Museum were bathed in the colours of BMW i.

The new BMW sub-brand itself was launched at today’s press conference in the BMW Welt. The print campaign for BMW i will initially feature two motifs.

As of Tuesday, a giant poster at the Munich Opera house and on other squares around the city of Munich will present the world of BMW i to the public.

The new brand’s affiliation with its parent brand, BMW, is clearly recognisable, thanks to the design cues taken from BMW’s Corporate Identity. However, in terms of … CONTINUED

Inside is an updated summary and insight into BMW’s Project-i sustained mobility project/thinktank, now and into the future. In addition to the production VED (i8) and all-electric Megacity Vehicle, Project-i will spawn a range of 2 to 4 wheel concepts.

Here is the Vision ED with a new coat of paint, this time in a beautiful gray finish that shimmers in natural sunlight, giving the car a more production ready look. Otherwise, true to their word, this car visually seems to be relatively unchanged from the original concept car.

You can see the cars driver wearing a crisp racing suit and you can see men on the side of the track with cameras in hand as well as a video rig. This means that this car is not out on the track for testing purposes, but rather for a photo shoot. Is this for more promotion of the vision ED concept car, or might this be an actual … CONTINUED