Friday, May 20, 2011

2014 BMW i8

2014 BMW i8

BMW is hard at work building its new i sub-brand, and we’ve got photos of the Spirograph-embellished development vehicles to prove it. The two cars spied here—the smaller i3 and the high-performance i8—will be the first electrified models from the new project. Both are expected to show up in 2013, likely as 2014 models.

BMW i8

When last we spied development mules of the i8, the car wore some 6-series body panels along with elements of the Vision EfficientDynamics concept on which it’s based. OK, so those weren’t technically spy shots, as BMW itself supplied the photos through a don’t-look-at-this-but-please-do microsite at dontblogaboutthis.com (it now redirects to a bmw.com subpage). The cladding has come off once again, revealing a car that looks very similar to the 2009 concept. BMW doesn’t seem too intent on hiding the car’s space-age design since we’ve already seen it; it’s a refreshing attitude in the world of camo’d future metal.

The production version of the i8 will use a powertrain similar to the concept’s, with a battery pack and electric motor working with some kind of internal-combustion engine. A diesel was used in the Vision ED, although we hear BMW may switch to a gas-fired unit, fearing buyers of the ultra-expensive laboratory on wheels might look down on a compression-ignition lump. The plug-in hybrid coupe will top the BMW range, packing the most current lightweight and fuel-saving technologies, and demanding the most currency as a result.

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