2014 BMW i8

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

[update ?1 -  the first two official photos]

 

[update ?2 - Production ready BMW i8 officially revealed]

 

Debuts September 10 at IAA

 

 

BMW has released a teaser clip for its highly anticipated production version of the i8 supercar.

 

On September 10 we'll get to see BMW's new hybrid supercar and through this teaser video we catch a glimpse at the second "i" member, following the reveal of the i3 in late July. While the latter is being described as a "revolutionary step towards sustainable mobility", the i8 will be a fully-fledged supercar which will achieve the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) run in less than 4.5 seconds before topping out at an electronically-limited 155 mph (250 km/h).

 

This will be possible thanks to a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine outputting 231 HP (170 kW) and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft) sent to the rear wheels. The front axle will be driven by an electric motor generating 131 HP (96 kW) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft), resulting in a combined output of 362 HP (266 kW) and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque.

 

The 2014 BMW i8 will weigh less than 3,285 lbs (1,490 kg) and is expected to do 94 mpg US (113 mpg UK or 2.5 liters / 100 km) with 59 g/km of CO2 emissions. BMW mentions it will have an electric range of 22 miles (35 km) and will hit a zero-emission top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). 

[The Evil Overlord]

Impressive economy figures for a 'supercar'

Never been one for BMW's but this one strikes as interesting.

[BetaAddict]

Impressive economy figures for a 'supercar'

Never been one for BMW's but this one strikes as interesting.

 

They have made great strides these past couple years ever since they fired their last lead designer. All the cars now have a unified sporty look and the 5-series is one of the best all around performance luxury cars there is. Even though I'm not a BMW kind of guy, it's hard not to show appreciation for their design and engineering.

[tsupersonic]

Hmm that is great. I hope that top speed is restricted only when it's running on electric power. Let's see it in production :) 

[Raa]

I've had my eye on this since it was announced, can't wait!! :D

[The Evil Overlord]

Hmm that is great. I hope that top speed is restricted only when it's running on electric power. Let's see it in production :)

EU regs, it's easy enough to bypass, for someone who knows how to do it (not me of course)

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

The angle at 0.16-0.17 sec. of the video is my favourite. The shape looks so agile and hot! It's like a predator!

[tsupersonic]

EU regs, it's easy enough to bypass, for someone who knows how to do it (not me of course)

Um what? I've never heard of such regulation for regular gasoline powered cars. Is it something for hybrids? There was a story on the front page saying EU wanted to regulate to 70mph. 

[The Evil Overlord]

Um what? I've never heard of such regulation for regular gasoline powered cars. Is it something for hybrids? There was a story on the front page saying EU wanted to regulate to 70mph.

No the regs I was referring to was something to do with the electronic limited speed of 155mph. Top end euroboxes, not sports cars.

[tsupersonic]

No the regs I was referring to was something to do with the electronic limited speed of 155mph. Top end euroboxes, not sports cars.

Yeah, I know about that one. That's a far cry away from the 70 mph on this vehicle, which EU regulations should have nothing to do with it. 

[Roger H. Veteran]

Yeah, I know about that one. That's a far cry away from the 70 mph on this vehicle, which EU regulations should have nothing to do with it. 

 

The 70Mph thing I thought was the electronic MAX based on horsepower , It runs at 155Mph (limited) but on electric alone is 70. 132 HP is not gonna push a 3,285lbs car pretty fast :p

[tsupersonic]

The 70Mph thing I thought was the electronic MAX based on horsepower , It runs at 155Mph (limited) but on electric alone is 70. 132 HP is not gonna push a 3,285lbs car pretty fast :p

cool, that's what I'm thinking too. If geared properly, you'd be surprised what 132 HP on a 3300 lb car can do. You should be able to do 120-130 mph+

[watkinsx2]

22 Miles electric range is rubbish.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

22 Miles electric range is rubbish.

 

It's a hybrid engine. It wasn't designed to travel long distances solely on the electric power.

 

Think of it as an added convenience bonus - you run out of fuel, but you may still have enough of electric juice to reach the nearest gas station.

[The Evil Overlord]

It might qualify for excemption from the london congestion charge

[MightyJordan]

EU regs, it's easy enough to bypass, for someone who knows how to do it (not me of course)

 

 

Um what? I've never heard of such regulation for regular gasoline powered cars. Is it something for hybrids? There was a story on the front page saying EU wanted to regulate to 70mph. 

 

 

No the regs I was referring to was something to do with the electronic limited speed of 155mph. Top end euroboxes, not sports cars.

 

 

Yeah, I know about that one. That's a far cry away from the 70 mph on this vehicle, which EU regulations should have nothing to do with it. 

 

 

It's not actually an EU regulation, it's a gentlemen's agreement between the car manufacturers and the German Green Party (B?ndnis 90/Die Gr?nen); they wanted to introduce speed limits on the unrestricted autobahns, so to appease them, the manufacturers agreed to limit their cars to 155 mph. Except for Porsche. :P

[The Evil Overlord]

It's not actually an EU regulation, it's a gentlemen's agreement between the car manufacturers and the German Green Party (B?ndnis 90/Die Gr?nen); they wanted to introduce speed limits on the unrestricted autobahns, so to appease them, the manufacturers agreed to limit their cars to 155 mph. Except for Porsche. :P

ok I stand corrected

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

usually i do not like BMW vehicles however this one looks rather nice from the quick video.

[tsupersonic]

It's not actually an EU regulation, it's a gentlemen's agreement between the car manufacturers and the German Green Party (B?ndnis 90/Die Gr?nen); they wanted to introduce speed limits on the unrestricted autobahns, so to appease them, the manufacturers agreed to limit their cars to 155 mph. Except for Porsche. :p

Yes, I knew what he was talking about ;) Porsche hasn't signed into it. I know Mercedes on some AMG models limit it to a higher speed (186 MPH/300 KPH). I had a CLS 63 with the performance package that did just that, as well as other things. 

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

Looks real nice.  I used to love BMW, then more of an AUDI fan, but since MB stopped developing supercars and put more money in quality and design, I am definately an MB fan more then others.

 

However, this thing sounds amazing.  and the fact that they are keeping the interiors close to the concept car, and not watering it down is a definate plus!!!

[tsupersonic]

Looks real nice.  I used to love BMW, then more of an AUDI fan, but since MB stopped developing supercars and put more money in quality and design, I am definately an MB fan more then others.

 

However, this thing sounds amazing.  and the fact that they are keeping the interiors close to the concept car, and not watering it down is a definate plus!!!

MB still develops the SLS...They made the SLS, SLS Black Series, and the older SLR. I consider all those supercars. But, yeah very cool for a production car to be close to the concept, even if it is just the interior. Nice to see a good design, instead of all the crap hybrid's on the market these days (Prius). There are a whole slew of hybrid supercars coming out, should be fun.

[The Dark Knight]

NICE! Starting saving/investment plan....definitely want to import this next year!  :yes:

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

2014 BMW i8 first official photos emerge

 

Debuts next Tuesday

 

These are the first two official photos of the production-ready 2014 BMW i8 which will be publicly unveiled on September 10 at IAA in Frankfurt.

 

It was only yesterday when BMW released a teaser clip with the plug-in hybrid i8 and now the cat is pretty much out of the bag as the first two official pics depicting the car have surfaced the web. Showing several similarities with the concept unveiled two years ago, the production model loses the see-through doors and gets more down-to-earth alloy wheels.

 

Open the scissor doors and you will notice right away the interior doesn't stray away too much from current BMWs but there are digital instrument clusters and a blue circle around the logo on the steering wheel.

 

BMW has already announced the i8 will come with a three-cylinder, 1.5-liter TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine delivering 231 HP (170 kW) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) of torque transferred to the rear axle. An electric motor outputting 131 HP (96 kW) and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) will drive the front wheels and enable the i8 to have a combined output of 362 HP (266 kW) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm).

 

Tipping the scales at less than 1,490 kg (3,285 lbs), the 2014 BMW i8 production version will need about 4.5 seconds until 62 mph (100 km/h) and will reach an electronically-capped top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). It will have an average fuel consumption of 2.5 liters / 100 km (94 mpg US or 113 mpg UK) with CO2 emissions standing at 59 g/km. On electric power it can reach a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h) and should have enough juice for a range of 22 miles (35 km).

 

 

 

[Astra.Xtreme]

Personally I think it looks hideous, inside and out, but I can appreciate the "futuristic" theme they are going for.

 

Looks like it will have a price tag of around $150k (USD), which is pretty ridiculous.

I'd buy a Nissan GT-R and Ariel Atom instead for that price, but that's just me. :)

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

It looks pretty interesting but... supercar? With 362BHP? You can get that much out of a Golf R with some tuning! I don't entirely qualify that as a supercar personally. I look forward to seeing a bit more about it though when it launches as the whole concept is fascinating and I'm certainly interested in these electric and hybrid cars.