BMW has officially unveiled the i8 in production guise at ongoing IAA in Frankfurt.
The 2+2 configured i8 has a weight of 1,490 kg (3,284 lbs) and boasts a carbon fiber reinforced plastic passenger cell. It borrows many of the styling cues from the concept though they have been slightly toned down and with standard LED headlights, with laser ones being optionally available. The see-through doors of the concept were not carried over but they still open upwards, while the alloy wheels have been modified that would suit the production model.
The plug-in hybrid system comes fitted with a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline TwinPower Turbo engine and an electric motor. The engine generates 231 HP (170 kW) and 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) of torque and sends power to the rear axle through a 6-speed automatic transmission. On the other hand, the electric motor produces 131 HP (96 kW) which is transferred to the front wheels via a two-stage automatic gearbox. The electric motor receives its energy from a high-voltage lithium-ion battery with a 5 kWh capacity.
As a result of this combination, the 2014 BMW i8 comes with a combined output of 362 HP (266 kW) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque and this enables the model to do a 0-62 mph in just 4.4 seconds.
