There’s been a lot of talk about the future of the BMW i3 and i8 models going around. Most of it is due to the fact that the two are getting a bit long in the tooth now. Thankfully, due to their construction from the get go, they are still relevant but the years are piling on and people are asking for something new. According to a new report, the i3 and i8 will live on but following different paths.
The successor of the BMW i3 is said to be ‘roughly based on the next BMW X1’. What that means exactly remains to be seen but the move would make sense financially. With BMW strained to get the cash needed for development of next-gen cars, sharing platforms will be a common thing in the future. Thus, the unique carbon fiber chassis of the i3 will be gone and instead, the new urban EV model will share the same FAAR platform with the X1. Speaking of which, the upcoming X1 model will be offered with ICE, hybrid and EV configurations. The i3 successor will not only be offered as an electric vehicle but also as a fuel-cell one too.
As for the i8, it looks like BMW has plans to offer a successor with more power. It will remain a hybrid, plug-in model but the project dubbed i12 internally will have a stronger electric motor (with around 200 HP) and a 2-liter four-cylinder ICE with around 340 HP. That would give the second-generation i8 a total output of over 500 HP, a figure that would surely make it rather fast, considering its lightweight construction.
According to the same report, the making of this i8 successor means a proposed i8M model will be cancelled along with another so-called i9. The former was supposed to be a 680 HP monster while the latter would’ve have even more power at 750 HP. However, both these cars would’ve required a complete redesign while the second generation i8 will be more of an upgrade of the current setup. As I said, this is just a rumor for now, so you do need to treat it accordingly.
[Source: Automobile Mag]
