[Jason]

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BMW i8 Mule Heads to German Countryside to Thaw and Test

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Last we saw the BMW i8 hybrid sports coupe prototype it was being tested during the dead of winter in Northern Sweden. It's now Spring and the i8 mule is being tested in the much more pleasant settings of Southern Germany.

The camouflage remains the same as before, but with these clear prototype i8 photos and the recently revealed i8 Spyder Concept, we already have a pretty good idea of the size, proportions, stance, and styling details of the 2014 i8 production car. It will resemble the car seen in the renders posted below.

Powertrain and Sales Target:

The concept i8 specs should give a great idea of what to expect for the production i8 model. The concept i8 features a high performance 3-cylinder petrol engine (164 kW) in rear with i3's electric motor (limited to 96 kW) in front, resulting in total torque of 550 Nm (300Nm petrol engine + 250 Nm electric motor).

Here are the concept i8's previously released vitals (subject to change in the production model, of course):

• 3-cylinder petrol engine (164kw) in rear with i3's electric motor (limited to 96 kW) in front
• 550 Nm (300Nm petrol engine + 250 Nm electric motor)
• 3 driving modes - electric, petrol, or both engines at once
• 1,480 kg
• 0-100kph (62mph): 4.6 seconds
• Top speed: 250kph (limited)
• 2.7 L/100km fuel economy
• 35km pure electric range
• 4 seater
• 50:50 distribution
• Market Launch: 2014

Sales and price targets for the i8 are yet undetermined, although it is known that the production i8 will launch in 2014. According to Ian Robertson, BMW’s global sales and marketing boss, "Our sales will strongly depend on legislation. Not only by big markets like the U.S. or China, but by local city authorities and their terms of taxation," Robertson said. "If a city like Amsterdam or London decides that you get a tax reduction, then sales will boost."

BMW i8 Prototype

Renders (by Behance):









Some previous videos of the i8 prototype and i8 Spyder Concept:

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[bimmerjph]

Would be better with an S54. Just sayin.

[MrClean335i]

BMW, we need a true mid-engine sports car not this electric BS

[antzcrashing]

amazing

[Spaceman Spiff]

Such a waste of a cool design. I hope this fails and teaches BMW a lesson.

[Das_Ein]

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cant wait for this to be on sale. Got to love innovation and progress.

P.S Stop hating on this, im sick and tired of hearing about it should have this or that turbo balls out motor. Efficiency and power, oh YES!!!! This coming from a guy that had a 95 chevy caprice 9C1 ex-cop car with a Rocket 455 7.5L V8 engine swap from a 1969 Oldsmobile Toronado GT (W34)

World stat:

Population:
7,021,836,029 (July 2012 est.)

Urbanization:
urban population: 55.5% of total population
rate of urbanization: 1.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


World growth rate:
1.096%
note: this rate results in about 145 net additions to the worldwide population every minute or 2.4 every second (2012 est.)

Chew on that for awhile.

[GOLFFRR]

[persian54]

I want one

[suspendedlicense]

Disappointing

[Diver]

A gas tax reduction for hybrids? That seems very difficult to administer. It has good performance, but will cost a fortune. This is the world we are facing. Of course if we get a different president in the US, we might not have to worry about this stuff.

[Poleposition]

I'd buy one. It's a DD, not a sunday super car. Love everything about it and when it's out, it will be one of the coolest things on the road.

[宝马.e90]

Originally Posted by Spaceman Spiff

Such a waste of a cool design. I hope this fails and teaches BMW a lesson.

Why would you want this fail? Because it's not the super car you want? You do realize it's not meant to be a commercial success right? So even if it sells 5-10 i8's, it's meant to showcase the technology for a fuel efficient cars which is the future...but yeah, hoping BMW fails with the i-Series is a great way of thinking. They won't try to improve the i-Series, instead finally decide to make a super car...

[BMWI6]

Originally Posted by MrClean335i

BMW, we need a true mid-engine sports car not this electric BS

+1000000. Seriously, whats up with all the BS, make a real supercar for once.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Originally Posted by 宝马.e90

Why would you want this fail? Because it's not the super car you want? You do realize it's not meant to be a commercial success right? So even if it sells 5-10 i8's, it's meant to showcase the technology for a fuel efficient cars which is the future...but yeah, hoping BMW fails with the i-Series is a great way of thinking. They won't try to improve the i-Series, instead finally decide to make a super car...

I know it's not meant to be a money maker, which is precisely what pisses me off. I don't have a problem with hybrids. In fact, I wouldn't mind if they made a whole fleet of i3s, i5s, etc. What I have a problem with is taking the one opportunity to make a halo car and turn it into this atrocity. It isn't like they give their engineers and the division heads an open budget to experiment with. There is a limited budget to create halo cars that aren't going to be a commercial success and if i8 is getting that budget, it only means a true R8 killer won't be made.

Also by failure I didn't mean commercial failure. Halo cars are not made with commercial success in mind. What BMW is seeking is prestige, good press and favorable reviews and that I hope will not be the case with this car.

[theArgiope]

Does it come in frozen pink?

[Touring]

That design...what a mess!

I saw a Porsche 928 yesterday, designed in 1971/72. So clean, still looks fantastic after 40 years. That car is so atractive because it does not need decorative lines going here and there because the basic shape and sculpturing of the car is so timeless and just perfect. In contrast to the i8.

[paddyrx8]

Can't believe people don't like this car.

I think its the best styled BMW in years. A lot of what they produce at the minute is bland and goes unnoticed. The new 3 series for example, loads of them around already and no excitement generated (having said that I saw a new 6 recently, which did turn a few heads).

If you drove the i8 around any street in any place in the world, everyone would stop what they were doing and stare open mouthed. I cannot think of any other car, present or future, which will cause such a stir as the i8.

Its the future, but now. The hybrid nature is the way things are going, the performance and economy figures are just a bonus to the way this car looks.

It ticks every box for me. I am praying I win the lottery just so I can afford this car. I got goosebumps seeing it briefly in Mission Impossible, no car has ever done that for me.

It is immense. When you see one drive by you in the street sometime in the future you will know what I mean.

[francis_william]

This is Sex....OMG..... wish i can afford it when it finally comes out!

[hks786]

Front = yes
Side = yes
Rear = no.

I just think the rear end looks very fussy and I'm not a fan of that C-pillar.

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by Das_Ein

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cant wait for this to be on sale. Got to love innovation and progress.

P.S Stop hating on this, im sick and tired of hearing about it should have this or that turbo balls out motor. Efficiency and power, oh YES!!!! This coming from a guy that had a 95 chevy caprice 9C1 ex-cop car with a Rocket 455 7.5L V8 engine swap from a 1969 Oldsmobile Toronado GT (W34)

World stat:

Population:
7,021,836,029 (July 2012 est.)

Urbanization:
urban population: 55.5% of total population
rate of urbanization: 1.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


World growth rate:
1.096%
note: this rate results in about 145 net additions to the worldwide population every minute or 2.4 every second (2012 est.)

Chew on that for awhile.

All those figures make me want is a S85 engine in it.

[monkawekrue]

too fucking sick

[aantar]

Dear BMW , don't you think it's time for you to release a super car and kick mercedes, audi and porsche asses ? please release and M version of the I8 and let it be a super car that can compete with ferrari and lambos !! we really love bmw and wanna see it at the top of everything