BMW i8 fully revealed ahead of Frankfurt debut

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Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Technology, BMW, Electric, Luxury

It may be early in the morning here in the US, but in Germany, the first day of the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is in full swing. BMW took advantage of the early start and showed off its long-awaited i8 plug-in hybrid sportscar, a two-plus-two, swan-wing-doored coupe, to the Frankfurt crowd.



We drove a BMW i8 prototype back in August, so many of the things we're reading today are clarifications on our initial suspicions or speculations. Underhood sits a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine. On its own, it churns out a respectable 231 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, which is then channeled to the rear wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission. An electric motor, meanwhile, sends 131 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque through a two-speed automatic to the front wheels.



With all-wheel drive at its disposal, the total system power sits at 362 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, and allows the i8 to scamper to 62 miles per hour in just 4.4 seconds. That excellent performance is offset by an estimated fuel economy figure of 94 miles per gallon, though, making this a fast and efficient vehicle. Charging is impressively fast on the i8, with a full charge coming from a 110-volt outlet in under four hours. A BMW Charging Station will trim the charge time down to 1.5 hours.



The i8 has a pair of driving mode controllers. The Driving Experience Control switch should be familiar to anyone who has driven a recent BMW product - it's the only way to activate Sport, Eco Pro or the default Comfort setting. As for the eDrive button, it shouldn't be a surprise, based on its name, that pressing it will put the i8 into EV mode.



Prices start at a rather lofty $135,925, which makes this the second most expensive member of the BMW range, behind the luxury rocket known as the 760Li. The i8 will arrive in the US, which BMW expects to be the car's largest market, in the spring 2014. We'll have much more on the i8 and the rest of the BMW range, including live pictures of the new plug-in electric coupe, very soon. Until then, we have our second 11,000-plus-word press release in less than 24 hours for your perusal below, on top of a high-def gallery that includes plenty of technical images about the BMW i8.

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BMW i8 fully revealed ahead of Frankfurt debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Sep 2013 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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