The BMW i8 is the priciest model from
BMW's i brand. The i8 is a sport coupe with a body shell made of carbon-fiber
reinforced plastic (CFRP), carried on an aluminum chassis that absorbs frontal
crash energy and holds the powertrain. The i8 was unveiled by Sachin Tendulkar
at the Auto Expo 2014 held at New Delhi. The i8 was launched in the
international markets in 2014 and was launched in India in February 2015.
External
features
The i8 comes with twin-kidney grilles at
the front, a groove between the upper and lower rear bodywork, wing-like fins
at the rear, and blue trim accents. The i8 has 20-inch wheels. The wheel base
is 2800 mm and the ground clearance is 117 mm.
Interior
The driver and passenger sit low with
the tall tunnel for the battery pack between them. The highly contoured
lightweight seats are comfortable. Standard features include 20-inch wheels,
adjustable suspension, LED exterior lighting (headlights, foglights, running
lights and taillights), automatic headlights and wipers, front and rear park
assist, an overhead camera view system, auto-dimming mirrors, keyless entry and
ignition, leather upholstery, power front seats, heated front seats, a
tilt-and-telescoping and leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic climate
control, memory settings and a head-up display. The boot size is 154 litres.
Powertrain
The powertrain of the BMW i8 has two
separate power sources. An electric motor powers the front wheels, and a
high-output turbocharged three-cylinder drives the rear wheels. The i8 can thus
run solely on electricity, as a sporty hybrid, or with both operating together
for maximum performance. The electric motor up front is rated at 131 bhp and
184 Nm of torque. The energy comes from a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery
pack with a usable energy capacity of about 5 kilowatt-hours, mounted in the
tunnel between the seats, giving the entire car a low, sleek profile. In the
rear, the 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine generates 231 bhp and
236 Nm of torque.The total power when both are used comes to 360 bhp and torque
570 NM. The engine drives the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic
transmission. The top speed is 250 kmpl. The car comes with a net fuel
efficiency of 47.45 kmpl. The battery pack can be fully recharged at home
through a standard 120-volt garage outlet in about 3.5 hours. There are two
selectable drive modes - comfort mode and EcoPro mode.
Price
The car is available as a single variant
at a price of Rs 2.29 crores. There is only variant available in India with
four upholstery versions.
The 2015 BMW i8 is a two-door, plug-in
hybrid sports car with 2+2 seating. It comes in a single trim level.
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