BMW i8 Concept - 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

A plug-in hybrid sports coupe from BMW.
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.

As a plug-in hybrid, the i8 has a 7.2-kWh battery similar to that of the i3, and it runs down the spine of the car in what would normally be the transmission tunnel. This stiffens the chassis, but limits seating to a 2+2 configuration. The large doors of the i8 Concept swing up to allow easy access to the rear seats. In pure-electric mode, the i8 can travel up to 20 miles without invoking the gasoline engine. For maximum performance, however, the gasoline engine is needed. A high-power alternator on the engine means that all four wheels provide regenerative braking and the best possible efficiency. A full charge of the battery will take less than 2 hours using 220V.

With an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph, the i8 can be thought of as a super sports car of tomorrow. The combined power output of 349 hp is said to be enough to propel the roughly 3300-lb. coupe to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. And in normal driving, the i8 should be capable of around 80 mpg.

So what about those laser headlamps? BMW says laser diodes are more efficient, and that the engineers “hope to have this latest cutting-edge technology in production in just a few years’ time.” BMW also said the laser headlights will provide “a basis for completely new lighting functions for further enhanced safety and comfort.” What the Bavarian company means by this, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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