BMW’s New i8 Sports Car Photos Leaked Ahead of Frankfurt Debut!

BMW had been teasing us with i8 for quite a period of time, with the car making numerous appearances on the outside world but still sporting the heavy camouflage to hide its exact lines and curves. Although it is scheduled to debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show alongside the i3 EV supermini, photos of the car without the camo has now surfaced on the web.

Compared to the concept version that was shown two years ago, the production i8 had certainly been trimmed down to a more realistic level. The doors for example are no longer made entirely out of glass; although they still kept the flashy Lambo-like opening system.

The same goes to the interior, which now has a dashboard very different from the study version. But BMW did retain the design cues of the concept like the shape of the centre console, steering wheel and instrument panel, giving the interior a sleek and modern look.

The i8 is powered by a turbocharged three-cylinder 1.5-liter engine that churns out 228-horsepower, all sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox. The front wheels on the other hand will be powered by a 129-horsepower electric motor that works through an integrated two-stage automatic transmission.

These two systems can either work independently or together with a combined output of 357-horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. The lithium-ion battery that provides the juice to the electric motor could also be recharged via a standard household power socket. The BMW i8 is able to cover 35km in all-electric mode.

Performance-wise, the i8 is able to sprint from zerotohundred in less than 4.5 seconds, going all the way to a top speed of 250 km/h. BMW also stated that the average fuel consumption for this new sports car with the use of battery included is 2.5l/100km. Impressive?

 

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