We’ve raved about the dramatic BMW for a few years now. The specs are in as it begins production.
What can be said that hasn’t been said about the beautiful BMW i8? Out of this world? Unlike anything BMW has ever made? A dramatic shift in the company’s line of traditional, yet performance gasoline sedans? Check all of the above.
BMW sets itself apart from domestic competition.
Say what you will about the Bayerische Motoren Werke company, but one thing it does louder and brighter than its domestic competition is talk about its electric vehicle (EV) i3 and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) i8 sister. Yes, the i8 is stunning, and as my interview with lead designer Benoit Jacobs revealed, BMW went way outside its comfort zone to produce a car unlike anything else it had ever made.
The i8 Specs.
The final specs are in and the number won’t disappoint you.
The 1.5-liter TwinPower turbocharged gasoline engine will produce 231 HP, as expected, coupled to a 96 kilowatt (131 HP), 184 lb-ft hybrid electric motor. The combine power is rated at 362 HP, with 420 lb-ft. All of this is powered by a tiny 5.2 kW/hr lithium ion battery pack, that should give the i8 a range of about 23 miles in electric mode at up to 75 mph.
In gasoline mode, the i8 will be electronically limited to 155 mph and sprint the 0 to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds.
Here is the video interview we did with Benoit at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
BMW i8 Concept NAIAS
