
BMW has revealed the i8 in production for the first time at IAA in Frankfurt, the 1,490 kg (3,284 lbs) plug-in hybrid adopts a 2+2 configuration and boasts a carbon fiber reinforced plastic passenger cell and an aluminium frame for the combustion engine and electric motor, the battery pack and the suspension.
The doors are made up of a CFRP inner structure and an aluminium outer skin and weigh 50 per cent less than a conventional construction. The intelligent construction of the magnesium instrument panel support brings a weight saving of around 30 per cent compared with the BMW 6 Series, for example. In addition, the high structural rigidity of the magnesium support structure The revolutionary character of the BMW i8 is emphasised by a further innovation: the use of an internal combustion engine which is making its debut in this model.