The German car manufacturer BMW has been officially unveiled at the 2013 IAA Frankfurt the production version of the i8. The new model is the second creation of the "i" sub-brand and it represents a sports coupe that will bring joy to every petrol head and environmentalist face.
According to BMW, the i8 represents the "most progressive sports car of our time". Its body is made from lightweight materials and it has a drag coefficient of just 0.26. The German officials didn’t reveal any interior photos but the rumors say that it will feature leather seats and a 2+2 configuration.
Under the hood there is a 1.5 liter TwinPower Turbo three cylinder petrol unit that can develop 231 horsepower and 320 Nm peek of torque. There is also an electric engine with 131 horsepower and 250 Nm. The petrol engine powers the back wheels, while the front ones are powered by the electric unit.
The total power output is of 362 HP and 570 Nm. In these conditions, the sprint from stand still to 100 km/h is done in 4.5 seconds, while the top speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h. In the electric mode, the BMW i8 can do 35 miles and it has a top speed of 120 km/h.
Overall, the BMW i8 will have an average fuel consumption of 2.5 liters per 100 kilometers.
