If you feel like you’ve seen this car before, it’s because it’s an evolution of the Vision Dynamic Concept shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. The i8, though, is different, and when we learned about the new “i” sub-brand in July, BMW did not tell us the car would have laser-diode headlamps. The use of “laser” and “headlamps” in the same sentence may seem incongruous, but that’s what the i8 Concept really has.
We believe the production version of the i8 will be a 2015 model. It’s not a pure electric like its i3 Concept sibling; it’s an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid. The electric motor from the rear of the i3 will power the front axle of the i8. At the rear is a high-performance 1.5-liter 3-cylinder combustion engine producing 220 bhp and 221 lb.-ft. of torque. This transversely mounted inline-3 is part of a new modular engine family that will replace the current generation of 4- and 6-cylinders. It’s not a huge departure for BMW though, featuring an aluminum block, dual Vanos, Valvetronic, direct-injection and turbocharging. Astute readers may have noticed that this 3-cylinder is half of a 3.0-liter inline-6. Look for a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder as well in the Z4 and new 1 Series. (more)
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