The BMW i8 is a revolutionary sports car. The car that has been featured at BMW’s stand at this weeks Los Angeles Motor Show, a plugin hybrid, certainly has the performance to match it’s stunning lines and angles.
The i8 is the second model from BMW’s new BMW i brand. It is intended as a sports car and provides a forward-looking interpretation of BMW’s hallmark driving experience. It is a 2+2-seater with a design that BMW refer to as LifeDrive architecture. It gets a “life module” passenger cell made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), as you would expect from any premium sports car. Total weight is just 1,490 kg, bearing in mind the plug-in hybrid architecture.
The drive system utilises a brand new three-cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. From 1.5 litres, the i8 manages an output of 231 hp, a maximum torque of 320 Nm and rear wheel drive. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox. The petrol engine is supplemented by an electric motor with an output of 131 hp and maximum torque of 250 Nm. The power from this lithium-ion high-voltage battery is channelled through the front wheels via a two-stage automatic transmission.
The combinations mean that the BMW i8 is able to produce 362 hp maximum power and 570 Nm of torque. Performance is 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds with both engine and electric motor engaged. The BMW i8 manages economy figures of 2.5 litres per 100 km or 113 mpg in imperial measurements.
This is not the first time the i8 has stunned show goers with its advanced looks, the production model broke cover at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this year.
