Let’s start with the design, which hasn’t altered but probably didn’t need to because the i8 is still startlingly stunning when it’s stopped and even more impressive when the dihedral doors are opened upward.
Although the i8 blends this interior design with the typical levels of BMW functionality, the cabin also offers a sense of the future. It even includes two tiny rear seats for kids since it is a 2+2. In addition, there is a luggage compartment located behind the engine, however it is somewhat small due to the storage of two charging wires.
The outside is stunning, and the interior is also really remarkable. However, the really intriguing technology is hidden behind the skin.
A plug-in hybrid is the i8. This implies that it has a gasoline engine that is linked to a six-speed Steptronic transmission and an electric motor that is driven by a lithium-ion battery and has a two-speed automatic gearbox. The lithium-ion battery’s energy capacity has increased from 20Ah to 34Ah in the most recent model of the i8, and the electric motor’s maximum power has improved by 12hp to 143hp.
You could assume that the ‘traditional portion’ of the i8’s powertrain is similar to a BMW 6-cylinder, 3-liter gasoline engine based on the vehicle’s appearance. But instead, a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder petrol engine that came from a MINI is sat behind the passengers. a supercar powered by a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine? Really? But keep in mind that the 231 horsepower of the gasoline engine is complemented by a 143 horsepower electric motor, giving the system a total power output of 374 horsepower. Now that you mention it, it makes more sense. It’s also important to note that the gasoline engine now has a particle filter.
The i8’s ability to transfer its power to the road is another concern. The front wheels receive power from the electric motor while the rear wheels receive it from the mid-mounted gasoline engine. All-wheel drive is created when these two propulsion methods are combined.
The i8 features two powertrains but only 1,535 kg of total weight thanks to its carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell.
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BMW i8
BMW created the plug-in hybrid sports automobile known as the BMW i8. The i8 was marketed under the BMW I subbrand and was a member of BMW’s electrified lineup. The BMW i8 production model debuted at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show and went on sale in Germany in June 2014. In August 2014, deliveries to retail consumers in the US started. In May 2018, a roadster variation was released. June 2020 marked the end of production.
The 2015 BMW i8 featured an electronically regulated peak speed of 250 km/h and could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds (155 mph). A 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack allowed the 2015 model year i8 to have an all-electric range of 37 kilometers (23 miles) on the New European Driving Cycle. The range in EV mode was 24 km when tested using the U.S. EPA cycle (15 mi). In 2018, BMW upped the battery capacity of the i8 Roadster and Coupe to 11.6 kWh, extending the NEDC electric range to 55 km (34 mi) for the coupe and 53 km (33 mi) for the roadster.
Under the NEDC test, the BMW i8 coupe’s fuel economy was 2.1 L/100 km (134.5 mpg-imp; 112.0 mpg-US), with carbon emissions of 49 g/km. The i8’s combined fuel efficiency was assessed by the EPA at 76 MPGe (3.1 L gasoline-equivalent/100 km; 91 mpg-imp gasoline-equivalent) and 29 miles per gallon (6.7 L/100 km) while it was operating in pure gasoline mode.
The BMW i8 became the most popular plug-in electric sports car in the world by March 2020, with global sales of all variants topping 20,000 units, outpacing the combined sales of all rivals in its sector.
The BMW i8 is entirely electric.
The i8 from BMW has just one available powerplant. A 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged gas engine is coupled with an 11.6-kWh battery and two electric motors in this vehicle. With their combined 369 horsepower, the trio of engines can move all four wheels. But it’s not the quickest supercar around: In 4.1 seconds, the 2019 i8 roadster we tested could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. The same mild steering we’ve questioned in many recent BMWs is present in the i8. More feedback is preferred, especially in a vehicle designed with sporting purposes. Surprisingly, the ride is smooth, and road imperfections are felt but never sharply.
Why did BMW discontinue the i8?
On Thursday, the final i8 to be produced rolled out of the Leipzig BMW facility. Actually, the PHEV’s manufacturing was scheduled to stop in the middle of April. However, because of the factory’s closure due to the coronavirus outbreak, manufacturing was delayed until June.
Since manufacturing on the i8 began six years ago, exactly 20,448 vehicles have been sent from the factory. According to a press release from BMW, the final vehicle was an i8 Roadster in “Portimao Blue” and it was sold to a buyer in Germany.
The i8 was the first plug-in hybrid vehicle in the whole BMW Group when it made its debut in 2014. The hybrid sports car was never successful outside of its specialized market due to its intricate carbon body and six-figure base price. The i8 “embodies the departure into electric mobility like no other car,” according to Hans-Peter Kemser, head of the BMW plant in Leipzig. The model served as the inspiration for the current variety of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Currently, one shift of production for the Leipzig-based BMW i3 produces 116 units per day. Hans-Peter Kemser, the plant manager, claims that if demand for e-cars in Germany increases, production of the i3 might be expanded to two shifts and thus boosted to 250 units per day.
There won’t be a straight replacement for the i8. In the interim, there have been rumors that the 2019 Vision M Next concept car may be produced in large quantities. The BMW board of directors reportedly decided against the 441 kW sports car, also against the backdrop of the Corona crisis, primarily due to “costs and the volume,” according to media reports. However, the hybrid sports car (this time with a four-cylinder petrol engine instead of the three-cylinder in the i8) did not get beyond the planning stage.
The BMW i8 is manual available?
Transmissions: Front 2-speed automatic; rear 6-speed automatic with manual shift mode. four-wheel drive Approximately 15 feet 5 inches overall. Space for people and/or things: 81/5 cubic feet
The BMW i8 has gears, right?
The three-cylinder TwinPower 1.5-litre engine in the i8 is effectively a substantially modified version of the one found in the standard Mini Cooper, despite the fact that BMW won’t thank us for admitting it.
Because it produces 228 horsepower and 236 lb ft of torque, we think it has been reworked. This is then coupled with a front-axle electric motor to create 129 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque.
As if the powertrain weren’t confusing enough, the starter motor produces 11 horsepower of hybrid drivetrain and also fills in for torque when the petrol engine’s turbo is still spinning up.
A transmission that was equally as clever was required given the complex drivetrain. In essence, a six-speed automatic box transmits power from the gasoline engine to the back wheels while a two-stage automatic box at the front controls the electric motor. The six-speed transmission can be operated by the driver either manually or by using the shift paddles on the steering wheel.
The gearbox performs as expected in Eco mode, shifting up precisely when it is needed to maximize efficiency. However, if you go to Sport, it will hold gears much longer. Although not as quick as a double-clutch gearbox, shifts happen quickly enough.
How far can a BMW i8 travel?
The 2014-released i8 coupe is a gas-electric plug-in hybrid with an all-electric range of 18 miles in this iteration. The gas engine is a three-cylinder direct-injection turbo engine that can generate 228 horsepower and 236 foot pounds of torque on its own.
The BMW i8 is still on sale.
The i8, the first plug-in hybrid model from German carmaker, was unveiled in production form at the Frankfurt auto show in 2013 and had its American debut in 2014.
The model did experience a 43% boost in sales last year on the big U.S. market, reaching 1,102 units. In Canada, where the i8 increased from a meager 18 units sold in 2018 to 264 last year, the growth was much more pronounced.
In order to focus on creating and releasing a number of new electric cars as part of its ambitious aim to market 25 electrified models by 2023, BMW is putting the i8 on hold.
The iNext SUV’s manufacturing is anticipated to start in the middle of 2021. The i4 sedan follows, with development expected to begin at the end of the same year. Following the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show, this month saw the virtual debut of the latter model.
According to the European testing cycle, the i4 car and the iNext SUV should each have a range of about 600 km, which translates to 450–500 km in North America.
Can the BMW i8 run just on gasoline?
People will stop wherever you go in the i8 to take pictures of it with their iPhones and, if they have the chance, to talk to you. Despite the wide disparity in understanding of the vehicle, everyone agrees that the i8 looks stunning when parked by the side of the road. Since the i8 has a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.26, it is obvious that aerodynamics plays a major role in its design. When the gullwing-style doors are opened, the striking appearance causes an even sharper intake of breath.
Once inside, which necessitates some agility due to the relatively small and oddly formed entrance aperture, the interior also exhibits a significant amount of design flare, with numerous curved, layered surfaces. Everything is still where you want it and has the same superior ergonomic design as any other BMW cabin. We haven’t yet discovered a better in-car infotainment control system than BMW’s iDrive controller, but the head-up display is excellent. Importantly, the basic driving posture, like almost all other BMWs, is ideal and offers a wide range of modification.
Surprisingly, there is a good deal of storage space between the seats, in addition to the roomy center tube where the batteries are located. The “2+2” back seats, however, are cramped, and the boot is also quite small.
Things are equally inventive underneath the surface. The i8 is essentially a mid-engined vehicle thanks to its 3-cylinder, 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine, which is located between the rear seats and the rear wheels. The 6-speed automatic transmission used to drive the rear wheels of this power unit, which is based on the engine used in the new MINI Cooper, is lighter than the 8-speed automatic transmission often found in modern BMWs.
However, there is also a 96kw electric motor under the hood that is driven by a lithium-ion battery that runs up the middle of the vehicle. The front wheels are propelled by this electric drivetrain.
The i8 can be powered only by electricity, by gasoline, or by a combination of the two. The car has front-wheel drive if it is only powered by electricity. It has rear-wheel drive if only powered by gasoline. When used gradually, the i8 is all-wheel drive when using gasoline and electricity as power sources.
BMW has made significant efforts, like with the i3, to make the i8 as light as possible. The chassis is made of aluminum, while the passenger structure is made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). The i8 only weights 1490kg despite having 100kg of batteries. Even with all of this complicated packing, BMW was still able to maintain its distinctive 50:50 weight distribution and low center of gravity.