The Production i8 Awaits Its World Premiere | BMW

BMW i8
The Second Model in the "i" Brand

The Production Model of the i8 Makes its Long-Awaited World Premiere

BMWthe second model in the new sub-brand "i" for developing and producing electric vehicles with the aim of sustainable mobility, has made its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show.Frankfurt Showat the show.

Text by AKIZUKI Shinichiro (OPENERS)

The Styling of the Concept Model Remains Intact

At the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, BMW unveiled the production model of its plug-in hybrid sports car, the "i8," for the first time. The i8 is the second model in BMW's new sub-brand "i," dedicated to developing and producing electric vehicles with a focus on sustainable mobility.i3This marks the arrival of the production model following the earlier introduction of the "i3."

Its exterior design, much like the concept model, features a low-slung front and a classic sports car silhouette. It also adopts the distinctive upward-swinging doors. While the unique see-through doors from the concept were omitted, this does not detract from the i8's inherent appeal.

The powertrain consists of an electric motor (131 ps, 250 Nm) on the front axle, identical to the system in the i3, and a newly developed 1.5-liter three-cylinder twin-turbo direct-injection engine (231 ps, 320 Nm) on the rear axle. This is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, delivering a combined system output of 362 ps and 570 Nm of torque. It achieves 0-100 km/h in a swift 4.5 seconds.

Thanks to its carbon-fiber monocoque body, the vehicle weighs an impressive 1,490 kg. Aerodynamic optimization has also been achieved, resulting in a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.26. Furthermore, the battery is positioned low in the center of the car, ensuring a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.

Regarding the interior, details could not be confirmed even at the recenti8 prototype test drive event, but its full appearance has now been revealed. While the concept car featured a futuristic ambiance, the production version appears to adopt a more subdued design, closer to that of the current "6 Series".

The i8 achieves excellent environmental performance with a European combined fuel economy of 40 km/l and CO2 emissions of 59 g/km. In EV mode, it can travel up to 35 km at a maximum speed of 120 km/h.