The auto world is going crazy with the all the activities that are going around. The biggest motor show of the year is soon approaching and all the manufacturers are busy planning and preparing themselves to steal the show. BMW, our beloved German car maker, is leaving no stone unturned to capture the lime light at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show starting in September. The company has planned quite a lot for the IAA visitors. It has been officially declared that the company will unveil the production model of its much awaited electric car, i8. It is a plug in hybrid sports car that is perfect for everyday use. The car will offer a great fuel economy as well as excellent performance.
BMW first introduced the i8 as the BMW Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics and was unveiled as a concept car at the event of Frankfurt Motor Show in the year 2009. Later on, in the year 2011, the production version of the concept car was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It had announced long back that the commercial production of i8 will commence in early 2013 at the company’s Leipzig plant. i8 along with i3 are, at present, the 2 representatives of BMW’s current project called “project i”. Both the cars will be available by the end of this year or early next year.
The company is not ready to depart with any info regarding the i8. Keeping in mind the production model of the car that was unveiled in 2011, we are expecting that the car will have a 3 cylinder petrol engine of 1.5 liter capacity located medially towards the rear axle. It will have a maximum power output of 220 bhp and a maximum torque of 300 Nm, powering up the rear wheels. Powering the front wheels, we have the electric motor producing electricity via a 7.2 kWh Lithium ion battery. It is capable of churning out a power of 170 bhp and a torque of 250 Nm. So the car has a combined power output of 349 bhp. With the electric motor in the front and the fuel engine in the rear, the car has an optimum weight distribution of 50:50. The car will be utilizing regenerative breaking for all the wheels which prolongs the battery life. The car is capable of running 35 km solely on its electric power. This makes it very reliable for daily use. The battery can be fully charged in 2 hours via 220 V port.
While announcing about i8’s public appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show, a BMW official said that “The BMW i8 is a contemporary sports car perfect for everyday driving,” said BMW in the announcement of the i8’s Frankfurt-show debut. “It combines the performance of a sports car with the consumption of a small car. Thanks to its plug-in hybrid drive, the majority of its day-to-day driving is possible in emission-free, fully electric mode.”
The car can reach the speed of 100 kmph from a standstill in less than 5 seconds. The i8 can run at a final speed of 155 mph. The car will offer a fuel economy of 33.3 km per liter which can be called as the best in this segment. This can be credited to the low weight body of i8. The car is using an aluminium built chassis while it is using Carbon Fiber Reinforce Plastic (CFRP) for the rest of the car. As a result the car weighs only 1480kg ( including the battery) which is 195kg less than BMW M3.
The car will have “swing up” doors just like the ones we see in Lamborghini. Inside, the car will have 4 seats. The front row seats will be full sized while the seats in the back can accomodate only children due to the low head space available.
Apart from the i8, BMW will also display its enigmatic i3 at the event. The visitors will also get a chance to drive the specially designed i3. In addition to the i series, the 2014 X5 SAV, the 4-Series Coupe, and then finally the Concept Active Tourer Outdoor will be displayed by BMW.
Head of Brand Management BMW and Marketing Services BMW Group, Steven Althaus said regarding such a grand display scheduled for the Frankfurt show that “The IAA is one of the most important motor shows worldwide, where we present our latest products on an emotional level. The dynamic presentation of our vehicles on the track is unique and clearly underlines BMW´s brand promise “Sheer driving pleasure”. At this year’s IAA there will be a focus on the topic of electric mobility and the pure electric BMW i3 experience of our visitors. We are looking forward to creating enthusiasm for the BMW i3 and other BMW Group products.”
