A usual presence at auto shows around the world, the future BMW hybrid sportcar, i8, makes another appearance at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The first iteration of the i8 premiered back in 2009 at the Frankfurt Auto Show and it was initially marketed under the Vision EfficientDynamics name.
Eighteen months later of intensive development and the BMW i8 is preparing for a market launch in late 2013. The major change fro the original configuration is a new 1.5 liter petrol engine replacing the initial diesel unit of same capacity. The engine is mounted at the rear and drives via a dual-clutch gearbox.
BMW i8 will make use of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The weight of 1480kg is the equivalent to a power-to-weight ratio of 236 horsepower per 1000 kilograms.
A 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time is said to come in under five seconds, with a combined fuel consumption in the European test cycle of less than 3 liters/100 km (78 MPG) and average real fuel consumption of between five and seven liters (33 – 47 MPG).
According to BMW, the beautiful glass seen on the doors of the i8 Concept will be replaced by conventional materials, a request that was mainly driven by customers who requested more interior cabin privacy.
Base price of the BMW i8 is expected to fall around the $160,000m mark.
