2013 Frankfurt Motor Show: BMW i8 images leaked

BMW’s foray into hybrid technology is one that has been proposed for a number of years now, but has only taken its shape via one-off prototypes. But 2013 looks like the year when the research has finally taken physical shape. The company first launched the BMW i3 a couple of months back and now looks all set to unveil its elder sibling, the i8 sedan.

The i8’s entry into the world is taking a similar route of the i3, with the car’s official images ‘leaking’ a few days prior to its official launch. BMW has also revealed an official video illuminating just enough of the car to invoke attention. But if the i3 styling is anything to go by, the i8 will definite sweep us off our feet.

Similar to the i3, the i8 too uses a plug-in hybrid system with a three- cylinder petrol engine driving the rear axle and an electric motor powering the front. The combined output of the power plant is 367PS power and 569Nm of torque both of which aid the car to accelerate to 100kph from standstill in under 4.5 seconds while returning 40kmpl.  Despite the hybrid system, the car weighs around 1490kg thanks to its lightweight aluminium architecture.

BMW is on a roll to impress the environmentalist while still keeping the enthusiast happy, and the figures revealed from Bavaria speaks exactly of that. Who said hybrids are boring?