BMW i8 Review

The present and future of driving pleasure converge in the new models presented by the BMW and BMW i brands at the International Motor Show (IAA) 2013 in Frankfurt am Main. One of the highlights of the world’s most important car show this year is the joint premiere of the BMW i3 and BMW i8. The BMW Group’s first purely electrically powered vehicle to go into series production and the world’s most forward-looking sports car showcase the future focus, universal appeal and broad spread of the BMW i brand. The BMW i3 is the world’s first premium car conceived from the ground up to deliver electric mobility and emission-free driving in urban areas. With its eye on maximising efficiency both within the city limits and beyond, the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid combines the dynamic capability of a high-performance sports car with fuel consumption and emissions you would normally expect from a small car. Both models feature a passenger cell made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and BMW eDrive technology that enables them to be driven on electric power alone.

The BMW i8: a new generation sports car.
The BMW i8 is a 2+2-seater with visionary design and intelligent lightweight construction, which opens the door to both emission-free driving on city roads and sports performance on country roads and motorways. As a new generation sports car, it embodies BMW’s hallmark driving pleasure with a new premium character that is strongly defined by sustainability. Its plug-in hybrid system consists of a highly turbocharged three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and BMW eDrive technology in the form of an electric drive system likewise developed by the BMW Group, both of which interact via intelligent energy management.

The 1.5-litre combustion engine develops 170 kW/231 hp and drives the rear wheels of the BMW i8, while the 96 kW/131 hp electric drive sends its power to the front wheels and allows an all-electric range of up to 35 kilometres (22 miles) and a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).