Getting ahead of rivalling Audi in the laser headlights race, BWM now leads the race by delivering the first BMW i8s to their customers last Thursday. Held at a ceremony at BMW Welt in Munich, the first eight owners were presented with the keys to the new i8 by Roland Kruger, Head of Sales and Marketing Germany for the BMW Group, and Helmut Schramm, Head of Production Electric Vehicles at Plant Leipzig.
The new BMW i8 is the world’s first production vehicle that comes with laser-powered headlights as an optional extra, while the full LED headlights are standard. This optional laser-boost extends the high-beam range to up to 600 meters, doubling the illumination range of the LED-beam headlights. BMW said that the new laser technology consumes 30-percent less energy than the LEDs, and also takes less installation space with less weight.
“In November last year, we welcomed the first BMW i3 customers here at BMW Welt. Today, we are continuing the BMW i success story with the first eight BMW i8 customers worldwide. As ‘the first of a new era’, the BMW i8 combines the first sustainable design of a carbon-fiber body with a powerful plug-in hybrid,” said Roland Kruger.
The i8 is BMW’s first ever plug-in hybrid to combine a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder twin-turbocharged petrol engine with 228-horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. Sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed automatic gearbox, a synchronous electric motor developing 129-horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque powers the front wheels via a two-stage automatic transmission.
Overall, the BMW i8 has a combined output of 357-horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque, giving it a zerotohundred figure of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h. Fuel economy figures is estimated at 2.5l/100km, including the use of the battery.
