[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

2014 BMW i8 Specs Reportedly 393hp/406lb-ft, 4.9sec 0-62, 104.2mpg

95
COMMENTS

Tweet

BMW's highly anticipated i8 plugin electric hybrid sports car is not due until 2014 but CAR claims to already have the skinny on the production i8's specs and performance data, as follows.

Powertrain / Drivetrain

The gullwinged production i8 is reported to weigh 1,450kg (3,196 pounds). Its 170hp electric motor drives the front wheels while a 223hp / 295lb-ft turbo 1.5L 3-cylinder engine powers the rear wheels. Combined hp and torque figures are 393hp / 406lb-ft torque, more horsepower than the concept's 349 hp and the same torque figure.

Performance is said to be 4.9sec 0-62mph and a 156mph top speed.

With the ability to be front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, or all-wheel drive, as well as having torque vectoring, the i8's transmission will be one impressive piece of technology. The i8 will feature a 4-speed transmission, unlike the single speed transmission of the i3 (and rumored i5).

Range

In the European driving cycle (which ignores the energy required to charge the battery), the average fuel mileage is 104.2mpg. A full battery recharge takes 6 hours, but can be less than 60 minutes if there's access to high-voltage mains.

Price

As has always been the case, the i8 is expected to cost excess of €100,000 and BMW expects somewhere around 10,000 annual sales.

Gasoline M Version?

They report that an earlier considered M version which would have utilized a V8 or V10 is no longer under consideration.


Check out a recent spy video below and see all our BMW i8 coverage (including the latest spy photos and videos) at http://www.bimmerpost.com/bmwi/

Share this story

OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT LIKE

BMW i8 Price Will Top €100,000

[Yay-Z]

Damn!!!! This thing is going to be nice

[dlbrooks18]

Wow, 104mpg nice!!

[PKL]

I would love an explanation as to WHY no M version.

They would sell way more of that than this Hybrid. Well obvs both would be sought after.

[nlpamg]

I'm not impressed.

4.9 is a joke. I don't give a f- about MPG.

10,000 units for a halo car are way too much, it's not very exclusive.

Originally Posted by PKL

I would love an explanation as to WHY no M version.

They would sell way more of that than this Hybrid. Well obvs both would be sought after.

I've asked the VP's at M and some of their engineers when I visited M in Munich last summer. They said it would "defeat the purpose of the i8".

[mapezzul]

Originally Posted by nlpamg

I'm not impressed.

4.9 is a joke. I don't give a f- about MPG.

10,000 units for a halo car are way too much, it's not very exclusive.



I've asked the VP's at M and some of their engineers when I visited M in Munich last summer. They said it would "defeat the purpose of the i8".

The whole point of BMWi is MPG and emissions so you are obviously missing the point. The M6 Gran Coupe is the BMW M halo.

[GOLFFRR]

104 mpg and fast!

[Teemo Panda]

Omg, wonder how much it will cost! And hope it would be eligible for a tax break

[panicos81]

you know why i don't see the point in this?? because if i could spend 100000euros on a car i couldn't care less for its MPG.. if i can a afford such car i can afford its gas..

the only logical route is make a cheap "i" like the i3 and give this a v8tt the m5 has while keeping it lightweight..

[rave426]

I mean its cool and all, but does anybody actually want that?

Its more of a "look what I got" machine IMO. For the money they will ask I'd rather a Porsche with more noise and speed and be done with it..

[Mahzari]

Originally Posted by panicos81

you know why i don't see the point in this?? because if i could spend 100000euros on a car i couldn't care less for its MPG.. if i can a afford such car i can afford its gas..

the only logical route is make a cheap "i" like the i3 and give this a v8tt the m5 has while keeping it lightweight..

This is not supposed to be a logical car for a family of four. This is for a car lover, like the Porsche 918 Spyder. Not everything is about performance (whether that be MPG or speed) per dollar. Do you think the Bugatti Veyron is useless because a Switzer tuned Nissan GT-R is faster than it for less money? It's a technological showcase. This car is to promote BMW's 'i' division, like the Lexus LF-A was built to give Lexus's 'F' brand some credibility.

Will I ever buy this car? No, but I admire the fact that BMW is able to achieve such low 0-60 times, emissions, and fuel consumption. This technology will trickle down into consumer vehicles, such as the i3, i5, and regular BMWs.

[nlpamg]

Originally Posted by mapezzul

The whole point of BMWi is MPG and emissions so you are obviously missing the point. The M6 Gran Coupe is the BMW M halo.

I know I'm missing the point, but I guarantee you that it will cost more than the M6 Gran Coupe.

It's a BEAUTIFUL car. It's an expensive car. It LOOKS fast. But, 4.9 in today's standards is a joke.

I have two cars that cost about $100k each. I'm in the market for this car and I've told my dealer that depending on price, I will buy one. BUT, I really could care less about mileage.

BMW had a chance to make an SLS competitor. What did they do? Make a VOLT "sports car". That's my beef with this car. I don't care if it's a proof of concept for BMW's i brand. I'm not in the market for an i3 and I could care less about it. They need something to be their halo. This is not a halo.

[Mako]

are you guys serious? the posts so far are pretty funny.

1) this is not meant to be a super sports car, but rather a car that the upper class can buy and still feel good about the environment, compared to buying their Prius. What do you think Brad Pitt would rather be seen driving?

2) 10,000 does seem like a pretty high number considering something like the M Coupe/Roadster only sold about 2,000 during its entire production!

3) There shouldn't be an M Version of this, as another person said, its called the M6!

4) 0-60 in 4.9 if it is truly using all that max power and AWD while only weighing 3200 lbs, it will be much quicker, like 4.2, but I have a feeling it can't use all that power at once.

The real reason BMW is making this isn't to make money but to get their Fleet MPG up so they can continue making monster M5/M3 products

and NLPAMG, this car was not made for you (and is a totally different customer base than a M6 Gran Coupe)

[Pangloss]

The most interesting and overlooked aspect of the i8:
"223hp / 295lb-ft turbo 1.5L 3-cylinder engine"

Now everyone watch that video again, listening to that lovely, deep-throated i8 exhaust note, and then tell me again how BMW cannot succeed with 4-cylinder engines in the future because they always sound wimpy.

[Alpine F31]

Originally Posted by nlpamg

I'm not in the market for an i3 and I could care less about it. They need something to be their halo. This is not a halo.

The i8 is a GREEN halo car. It's where we are all going like it or not. Maybe BMW will resurrect the M1 and it will have Pagani Zonda like performance. THAT would be your Halo car.

[Jblack4083]

Well they've managed to combine efficiency and performance the most effectively out of any car manufacturer. Also, this will increase their emissions averages so we can have more gas guzzlers.

[EdwinF10]

Originally Posted by nlpamg

I know I'm missing the point, but I guarantee you that it will cost more than the M6 Gran Coupe.

It's a BEAUTIFUL car. It's an expensive car. It LOOKS fast. But, 4.9 in today's standards is a joke.

I have two cars that cost about $100k each. I'm in the market for this car and I've told my dealer that depending on price, I will buy one. BUT, I really could care less about mileage.

BMW had a chance to make an SLS competitor. What did they do? Make a VOLT "sports car". That's my beef with this car. I don't care if it's a proof of concept for BMW's i brand. I'm not in the market for an i3 and I could care less about it. They need something to be their halo. This is not a halo.

+1
BMW desperately needs a SLS or R8 competitor and this ain't it.

[NYe60chrisIU]

if they made an m version of this then it would be viewed as bmws 'supercar' i think. it would be interesting to see a supercar on this platform but they probably arent looking to go in that direction. if/when they do make the bmw supercar to compete with the r8 etc. that we have all been waiting for im sure they would want it to be differentiate from the i8.

[kyleb350]

Originally Posted by Pangloss

The most interesting and overlooked aspect of the i8:
"223hp / 295lb-ft turbo 1.5L 3-cylinder engine"

Now everyone watch that video again, listening to that lovely, deep-throated i8 exhaust note, and then tell me again how BMW cannot succeed with 4-cylinder engines in the future because they always sound wimpy.

That's what the fake sound through the radio is for.

[SCOTT26]

The BMWi8 will not be converted to an M. The genetics of BMWi will filter through to M. But BMWi remains a sub-brand.
However early tests have shown the i8 can handle more power and soon you will see using this power at the ring.

BMWi is to symbolise alternative drive in an alternative way.
Having discussed this previously I will keep it short and concise.

BMWi is not an existing BMW electrified, it is all new from the ground up. Our Competition apart from Porsche have fitted electric drivetrains to existing sports cars where the options are more expansive.

BMWi is about sustainability but in a totally different direction , BMWi goes well beyond the actual cars too. It is all about the future of mobility and how we use the car in general. The most exciting thing about BMWi is that it will not ultra exclusive. Rental networks across the globe are in the process of being set up so that anyone will be able to rent and drive an i3 or i8. They will not just be mutually exclusive like our competitors.

Think of BMWi as a new revolution in alternative mobility.

BMW desperately needs a SLS or R8 competitor and this ain't it

Actually they don't. Look at the R8 and SLS AMG today , they are yesterdays cars. There 15 minutes are up, Even the Bugatti douchebag has become almost a characterture with its endless "fools are parted easily with their money 2 Million euro +, ltd editions"

The hot sports car of the moment is the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and rightly so because in the flesh it is beautiful it is everything a Ferrari should be.
At Geneva I mentioned to a fellow counterpart at Ferrari about the Lambo SUV and whether Ferrari would follow? I was told in this very cutting answer no because "We are Italian!, Lamborghini is German".

[HK8888]

It's gonna be a future saver.

[numba1guju]

high voltage mains...sounds dangerous and I have jammed a fork into my outlet so I know how electricity feels haha