BMW have announced its intention of creating a new ‘i’ sub-brand which would be a standalone hybrid line of cars with an extended range and being fully electric plug in type. To keep up to its words the company is now working full steam on this new project of theirs.
From certain spy videos that have been obtained on this car it is evident that the car, an i8 hybrid sports coupe is based on the 2009 Vision Efficient Dynamics concept model. The spy video has been taken whilst the car was undergoing cold weather tests in Northern Europe.
The concept model on which the i8 has been based upon had a 163 HP, 1.5 liter three cylinder diesel engine located behind the back seats. It also had two electric motors, with one placed between the diesel engine and the six speed double clutch transmission, and the other in the front of the vehicle.
There has been a change though with the present i8 that comes out with the diesel engine being replaced by a gasoline engine, as per BMW R&D chief Klaus Draeger. He stated this during an interview with Autocar. He said, “We want to sell it all over the world. Diesel is only really relevant to Europe.”
The i8 would hit the market the same time that the i3 comes in and that is in 2013. The i3 is also better known as the Megacity.
Source: carscoop
