Tag Archives: i8

BMW I8 – Zaps the Nordschleife (Spyshots)

BMW I8 - VLN 2013 Season BMW Motorsport

Sometimes it’s time to leave the city. Escape the restrictions of everyday life. Yes you guessed it the flagship I8 is lapping the Nordschleife.

After successful initial testing of the vehicle concept, the decision for a series production vehicle was quickly made. The BMW i8 Concept is the next step in the evolution of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept.

And now it looks like BMW I8 is looking close to completion, the I8’s plug-in hybrid concept combines the modified electric propulsion system from the BMW i3 Concept – fitted over its front axle – with a high-performance three cylinder combustion engine producing 164 kW/220 hp and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) at the rear.
Continue reading BMW I8 – Zaps the Nordschleife (Spyshots)

BMW I8 Concept Spyder

Barely a year after the unveiling of the 2+2-seater BMW i8 Concept and previously the Vision, BMW i is now presenting us the second series of this innovative hybrid sports car.

This is a car in which outstanding performance potential goes hand-in-hand with extremely low fuel consumption and emissions with its 96 kW (131 hp) electric motor on the front axle works in tandem with a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine sending 164 kW (223 hp) through the rear wheels.

Both units are in-house BMW Group developments and generate an aggregate system output of 260 kW (354 hp) and peak torque of 550 Newton metres. That is enough to accelerate the BMW i8 Concept Spyder from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in five seconds on the way to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

The performance figures are groundbreaking if its claim to return a whopping 94 mpg in tes cases (All Downhill??).

And to top of the car they have thrown in 2 electric Kickboards for the Michael J Fox in us all, what ever next a flux Capacitor?

Enjoy the pictures from BMW I from Munich.

BMW I8 – Is this the Worlds first Hybrid Game Changer?

BMW I8

We recently published some pictures of BMW’s upcoming hybrid sports car, the i8, testing up in the arctic circle.

With its 220bhp 221lb-ft (300Nm) three cylinder petrol engine sat directly over and powering the rear wheels, and a 129bhp 184lb-ft (250Nm) electric motor sat on top of and powering the front wheels, the i8 offers a combined output of nearly 350bhp and 405lb- ft (550Nm) of torque.

That’s power enough to propel the car to 62mph in under 5 seconds and onto a top speed of 155mph. All this, yet the i8 will do almost 100mpg and on a combined cycle puts out only 99grams of CO2 per km. This allows for Congestion Charge-free driving though London and negates the need to pay for a UK tax disk. You can even drive on just electric power for up to 22 miles from a full charge and BMW promise us a full charge will take only 2 hours at a standard power socket. These figures could make the i8 one of the most interesting new cars of the next few years.

I really do believe that the BMW i8 will be the first, real petrolhead’s everyday hybrid hero. Imagine; you can cruise around town for free, on electric power alone. You could then take a long drive to the country, at nearly 100mpg.

Then at the weekend, take advantage of the perfect 50/50 weight balance, low centre of gravity, and powerful hybrid power plant for a hugely rewarding ‘enthusiastic’ drive. It’s a 2+2 as well, so you’ll be able to squeeze a pair of short children in the back. Perfect.

This is a great new direction for hybrid power. BMW are showing that hybrid power isn’t just for miserly Honda Insights and Toyota Priuses (or is that Pri’i? Maybe just Prius?), it’s a system which can be used to make amazing sports cars more useful in the real world.

Ultimately it gives hope. We’ve been told for a long time now that the future will be full of hybrid or electric cars, and so far these cars have either been boring cars for those outwardly concerned about the environment, or electric cars which just don’t have the range to function in a world where you might decide you want to drive further than the local shops and back in any given 24 hour period.

BMW aren’t the only people looking into hybrid sports cars though, there’s also Audi with their e- Tron Spyder, and Porsche with their 918 Spyder. The Audi has a 296bhp 3 litre TDI V6 for the rear wheels, an 86bhp electric motor for the fronts, and a face only a blind mother could love.

The Porsche is achingly beautiful and powered by a 716 3.4 litre V8 Petrol engine at the back, and 218bhp electric set-up at the front. Unfortunately you wouldn’t choose either of these; the Audi is just too ugly, and the Porsche will be both sold out and too expensive.

In terms of design, the i8 looks brilliant. It will probably be dulled down slightly from the concept we are used to seeing now. Our spy photos of the camouflaged prototype seem to show that the production version will predictably loose the glass doors, and the windscreen will be of a more standard design. But the general shape looks similar and BMW seem have to retained the awesome rear/side floating spoiler.

BMW are saying that the i8 will be launched in 2014. They seem to be rather proud of it too, and aren’t afraid to spend money on advertising, paying big bucks for it to be featured in the recent Mission Impossible movie and even showing it in their mainstream brand adverts.

I think it’s going to be very special indeed, and you know what; if its good enough for Ethan Hunt, it’s good enough for me. Now, I just need to find the rumoured £100k its going to cost.

Source:- Richard Major

BMW I8 Production Prototype – Winter Test Spyshots

Here are the final Prototype spyshots of the production version of BMW new I8.

The car has been undergoing winter testing in the artic circle to test its reliability under the extreme cold and also testing some of the Bosch equipment on board.

This is the first time a production prototype has been spotted the previous spyshots was the Mule, which was based on the Vision Concept Car which was shown in Frankfurt in 2009.

The production version is remarkably close to the concept with only some changes. Biggest change seem to be the doors and the design of the rear lights. The rear lights featured here are just cammo and not the final design.

Its innovative plug-in hybrid concept combines the modified electric drive system from the BMW i3 Concept – fitted over its front axle – with a high-performance three-cylinder combustion engine producing 164 kW/220 hp and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) at the rear.

Acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under five seconds combined with fuel consumption of under three litres per 100 kilometres (approx. 94 mpg) are figures currently beyond the capability of any vehicle powered by a combustion engine of comparable performance.

BMW I8 & I3 World Premier – Munich 29/07/2011


i3 -Mega City Concept

Originally named as the MegaCity concept, the BMW i3 will be the first vehicle produced under the i brand when it arrives next year. Two structures make up both the i3 and i8’s LifeDrive architecture – predictably, the Life aand Drive modules.

As its name would suggest, the Life part of the equation is what contains the driver and passengers, and the platforms have been individually developed for each model. In the case of the i3, a lightweight body structure is made up of a combination of aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, with the Drive module mounted underneath, obviating the need for a transmission tunnel and allowing BMW to install two bench seats for four occupants in the front and back while providing 200 liters (7.06 cubic-feet) of storage.

Underneath that lightweight body lies the Drive system, comprised of the suspension, battery and drivetrain, along with structural and safety components. A liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery back spans the undercarriage and supplies juice to an electric motor mounted directly above the rear-drive axle. Yup, this a rear-wheel-drive EV hatchback, with the motor putting out 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque through a single-speed gearbox. BMW claims the i3 can reach an electronically limited top speed of 93 miles per hour and make the run from 0-60 in under eight seconds.

An available PRO ECO mode tweaks the throttle and electronics to boost efficiency, and braking regeneration feeds kinetic energy back into the battery pack. Remarkably, BMW also claims that you can charge the battery back to full in six hours using a standard power socket and the i3’s batteries can get to 80 percent in one hour using a high-speed charger (we’ll be getting more details on both very soon).

i8 – Vision Concept

This car was first released in 2009 Frankfurt Motor  Show as the Vision Concept and was spied in Northern Sweden in 2010-2011 (Yellow Snow Edition)

Unlike the standard i3, the i8 will be a plug-in hybrid, with a turbocharged, 1.5-liter three-cylinder powerplant mounted up front and putting out 220 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. Combined with the electric motor, the run from 0-60 mph is claimed to blow by in under five seconds, with fuel consumption estimated at three liters per 100 kilometers and seven liters per 100 clicks when driven like… well, a BMW.

The three-pot works in tandem with a lithium-ion battery pack and front-mounted electric motor pulled from the i3 and driving the front wheels, allowing an electric-only range of up to 20 miles on a charge. Put both systems together and you’ve got a front-wheel-drive vehicle for maximum efficiency, a rear-driver for maximum fun and all-wheel drive for maximum grip. And if that isn’t enticing enough, the i8 has a perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

BMW I8 Prototype Spotted in Northern Sweden (Yellow Snow Edition)

The new flagship prototype of the next Chapter of BMW history has been spotted undergoing winter testing in Sweden along with leaking fluids hope hes got Floor Mats from CarID.

Originally unveiled as the Vision concept in 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show as the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept and still wearing this moniker.

There is not a lot of details to grasp on the performancce of the the electric car and we expect this to be around the 200bhp, but due to the maximum power will be available immediately from the electric motors and expect to humm along to 62mph in around 5.0 seconds.

We expect a mid mounted diesel hybrid to be released first quarter 2013 and the full electric following.


BMW’s new sub-brand “i”. Mega City vehicle will be called “i3″, Vision is “i8″

Today, BMW announced the new sub-brand which will market all future electric vehicles from BMW. The sub-brand is simply called “i” and the first vehicle to come to market is the Megacity urban car.

Megacity Vehicle will carry the “i3″ branding and will be followed just a year later by the production ready variant of the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept unveiled back in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

“i was born today, February 21st, 2011″ could be BMW’s new slogan and the beginning of a new era. According to BMW, letter “i” stands for innovation. It started with “i-drive”, in 2007, Project-i came to life. Now, an evolution of premium mobility, innovative and integrated, the new “i” sub-brand will offer premium products and services as an independent brand.