BMW i8 Spotted Testing in Europe

[Dezire]

The BMW i8 along with the i3 form a very important part in the German automaker’s future mobility solution.

BMW is betting big on the ‘i’ family of electric cars not only because they run on clean energy but also because they would be the first mass produced cars to feature extensive usage carbon fibre. While the BMW i3, an electric city car with range extender, is expected to be launched first, the i8, a plug-in hybrid supercar, is expected to follow closely.

Earlier, we have brought you the spyshots of the BMW i8 testing in Monoco. The heavily camouflaged test mule you see here is a BMW i8 which was spotted by Mr. Michel, a reader of Autoplus.fr, near the French city of Nice.

The plug-in hybrid supercar features a futuristic design which was merely an extension of the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept. The body panels employ Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics and the monocoque too adopts the composite material. Through this long and extensive research, BMW has managed to invent a technique to fabricate carbon fibre components in a cost and time effective manner.

The front wheels are driven by electric drive system while the rear wheels get the power from a 3 cylinder 220bhp petrol engine. The combined power output stands at 393bhp. 0-100kph comes in under 5 seconds while the combined fuel efficiency stands at a claimed 37.7 kpl!

Various media reports suggest that the production version of the BMW i8 could make its debut at the Frankfurt motor Show this September along with the BMW i3.

BMW i8 spotted testing in Europe

 

[Dezire]

Spied – BMW i8 supercar caught testing in Las Vegas

The BMW i8 hybrid supercar is steadily moving towards its D Day.

BMW’s i brand will consist of the i3 city car and the i8 supercar. The i3 is at the verge of its production debut which is scheduled for July 29.

This test mule of the BMW i8 has been spotted in Las Vegas by Jalopnik.com. Their guess is that the hybrid supercar is heading for a hot weather test in the desert.

The BMW i8 is powered by a conventional engine and an electric motor which work in tandem. A three cylinder petrol engine propels the rear wheels while the front wheels get their power from an electric motor.

In the i8 concept, the engine develops 220bhp and the motor puts out 129bhp. The i8 concept has a 0-100kph acceleration time of under 5 seconds while returning a fuel economy of 37.07 kpl and the car can run purely on electricity for 35km. However it remains to to be seen whether the production version will have carry the same figures.

The BMW i8 will go into production in 2014 and we won’t be surprised if the car is in attendance at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The i8 has been caught testing in various places across the globe such as China, the Europe and now the USA.

BMW i8 supercar caught testing in Las Vegas

 

[Dezire]

Spied – BMW i8 continues its test run across the globe

The BMW i8 hybrid supercar is undergoing its final phase of testing as suggested by frequent spyshots of the camouflaged test mules that are pouring in from across the world.

The supercar is doing some serious miles before heading for a market launch which, by the look of things, is not far away.

The design of the production version has hardly changed from that of the i8 Concept. Like any other performance automobile, the i8 is low and wide with every surface doing its bit to improve the aerodynamic efficiency. The butterfly wings at the rear is easily the highlight of the design.

Power comes from a combination of a three cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor. While the rear mounted IC engine takes care of the rear wheels, the electric motor sits on the front axle. The combined output of the production version is yet to be announced. The concept car was capable of 349bhp.

The i8 uses carbon fibre extensively, thanks to BMW’s cost and time effective way of fabricating the composite material. As a result, you get an extremely light supercar which can accelerate from 0-100 in under 5 seconds while delivering a fuel economy of 37.07 kpl. The car can travel as long as 35km on pure electricity (all the performance stats correspond to the BMW i8 concept).

The BMW i8 to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September along with the i3 electric city car.


BMW i8 continues its test run across the globe

 

[Dezire]

Production version BMW i8 Going to Frankfurt Motor Show

The long-wait for the BMW i8 is going to over, as the company announced to unveil the production version of i8 at the upcoming 2013 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. Besides BMW i8, the company will showcase the newly-unveiled i3 all-electric car, the 4-Series Coupe, the 2014 X5 SAV and the Concept Active Tourer Outdoor. BMW i8 is a contemporary plug-in-hybrid sports car, which offers the best-in-class fuel economy and impressive performance.

The company hasn't revealed any specifications of the car. The i8 is expected to feature a 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor that churns out 170bhp and 250Nm of top torque. The engine is expected to accelerate the vehicle to 100kmph from stand still in less than five seconds. It will deliver an excellent fuel economy of 33.3kmpl (78.4 mpg US / 94.1 mpg UK) and can travel up to 35km on electricity alone.

Steven Althaus, head of Brand Management BMW and Marketing Services BMW Group, on this year’s IAA presence:

The IAA is one of the most important motor shows worldwide, where we present our latest products on an emotional level. The dynamic presentation of our vehicles on the track is unique and clearly underlines BMW´s brand promise “Sheer driving pleasure”. At this year’s IAA there will be a focus on the topic of electric mobility and the pure electric BMW i3 experience of our visitors. We are looking forward to creating enthusiasm for the BMW i3 and other BMW Group products.

Production version BMW i8 Going to Frankfurt Motor Show | CarDekho.com

 

[Dezire]

Technical details on the BMW i8 revealed; to debut Frankfurt

BMW has revealed more details on the upcoming i8 plug in hybrid sports car that is set to make its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the second vehicle in the i-range of cars from the German automaker and is expected to be the most premium in the range. The car has already been spied testing on multiple occasions and from the look of it seems to be a more contemporary iteration of the 8-series range of car from the mid 1990s.

The BMW i8 as is the case with the ‘i’ nomenclature is a plugin hybrid that will be powered by a 1.5-litre three cylinder mill and an electric motor. The petrol engine will produce 234PS and power the rear-wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission while the electric motor will be drive the front wheels and will produce 97PS.

The combined output has been pegged at 325PS and 420Nm of torque. Both engines can work together, technically giving it the German Automaker’s “X drive” capability, a 0-100kmph time of 4.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250kmph. Running on just the electric motor gives the i8 a range of 35km and a top speed of 120kmph, however achieving both the number may seem a little dicey.

Like we said before, BMW seems to have stuck onto the original design of the 8 Series and has made the i8 as road hugging as possible. The lithium-ion batteries have been mounted along a central tunnel which is liquid cooled. They charged up via a US spec 120 volt, 12amp plug point or using regenerative braking. All the drive train components forged from aluminium, have been fitted low down to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible.

In addition the aluminium in the drive train, BMW has made the passenger cabin using a carbon fibre reinenforced plastic. Both these measure alone have offset significant amount of weight that the batteries provide. Another notable innovation on the i8 that we will expect to see on future BMWs is the use of a chemically hardened glass that is just 0.7mm thick but provides the same effect as that of the glass on a luxury car.

While the i8 may not be in the league of other plug in hybrid sports cars like the SLS AMG Electric Drive or the Ferrari LaFerrari for very obvious reasons, its drive setup and innovative design should make it quite a viable product. This also means the legendary 8 Series gets introduced to a new generation of BMW enthusiasts albeit in a very different way.

Technical details on the BMW i8 revealed; to debut Frankfurt - CarWale News

 

[Dezire]

2014 BMW i8 wind tunnel testing


2014 BMW i8 wind tunnel testing - YouTube



Source: YouTube

 

[Dezire]

BMW i8 scale model reveals the production car’s design

Despite the ridiculous camouflage on the test cars or the limitations posed on judgement by the scale model, one cannot deny that the BMW i8 looks exotic.

The i8 has a mid-engine car’s proportions and the layered design works up some magic. Its got the flamboyance of a typical sportscar with its scissor doors and the geekiness of a concept car with an aerodynamic bodywork. One can note the rear fenders extend vertically, small air intakes placed at the rear of the side sills and the radiator exhaust is placed in the center of the hood.

Under the hood though, the i8 uses an anti-sportscar three-cylinder engine which is comparable to a Maruti Wagon R. Your car won’t win the drag race as the tiny engine is assisted by a turbo charger and a 96kW electric motor which stretches the total output to 362hp and 520Nm of torque. Your car won’t win the mileage run either as the i8′s hybrid driveline bestows it with a fuel efficiency of 40kmpl.

The 0-100kph sprint can be dismissed in 4.5 seconds, thanks to the extra effort coming from an aerodynamic body whose drag coefficient stands at a helpful 0.26, and a carbon fiber body which weighs just 1,490 kg including all the hardware.

BMW i8 scale model reveals the production car's design

 

[Fyzy09]

Wow!!! that looks amazing. Thanks for sharing the details buddy

 

[Dezire]

BMW i8 supercar teased through video

The all-new BMW i8. Unveiling September 10th. - YouTube

Source: YouTube

 

[Dezire]

2013 Frankfurt Motor Show: BMW i8 images leaked

BMW’s foray into hybrid technology is one that has been proposed for a number of years now, but has only taken its shape via one-off prototypes. But 2013 looks like the year when the research has finally taken physical shape. The company first launched the BMW i3 a couple of months back and now looks all set to unveil its elder sibling, the i8 sedan.

The i8’s entry into the world is taking a similar route of the i3, with the car’s official images ‘leaking’ a few days prior to its official launch. BMW has also revealed an official video illuminating just enough of the car to invoke attention. But if the i3 styling is anything to go by, the i8 will definite sweep us off our feet.

Similar to the i3, the i8 too uses a plug-in hybrid system with a three- cylinder petrol engine driving the rear axle and an electric motor powering the front. The combined output of the power plant is 367PS power and 569Nm of torque both of which aid the car to accelerate to 100kph from standstill in under 4.5 seconds while returning 40kmpl. Despite the hybrid system, the car weighs around 1490kg thanks to its lightweight aluminum architecture.

BMW is on a roll to impress the environmentalist while still keeping the enthusiast happy, and the figures revealed from Bavaria speaks exactly of that.

2013 Frankfurt Motor Show: BMW i8 images leaked - CarWale News

 

[dharmesh]

1.5-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline TwinPower Turbo engine outputs 231 HP and 320 Nm torque. The electric motor provides 131 HP. BMW i8 has a combined output of 362 HP and 570 Nm torque, enough for a 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds. Despite this impressive performance, it has a fuel consumption of just 2.5 liters / 100 km. It can be driven on electric power for up to 35 km during which it can hit a top speed of 120 km/h. The combined range of the BMW i8 production version stands at more than 500 km.

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