BMW i8: Less Consumption, More Lasers
The wait is over. The BMW i8 is finally entering production in April 2014. During the EPA testing procedure, the Bavarian engineers tweaked the car even more, further enhancing performance.
Using a 3-cylinder, 1.5 liter turbo engine producing 231 HP and 236 lb/ft of torque and mating it to an electric motor pumping out 131 HP and 184 lb/ft of torque, the i8 offers 362 HP total. Since the whole car only weighs 1485 kg and boasts a drag coefficient of 0.26 (in comparison, the Ferrari 458 Speciale is considered "pretty aerodynamic" at 0.35), the performance promises to be electrifying: 0-100 in 4.4 seconds, a top speed of 250 km/h and 80-120 km/h in 2.6 seconds. Even with those numbers, the car can run 37 for kilometers in full-electric mode, and offers a mixed-driving fuel consumption of 2.1L/100 km in ideal conditions.
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The i8 is also the first car to offer laser headlights. No, this has nothing to do with James Bond's villains. Projecting a high-intensity beam on a fluorescent surface, this technology promises 30% better lightning than a standard halogen bulb, and can light the road ahead as far as 600 meters. The light is also very close to natural lighting, reducing the risk of eye strain.
The customers who were the first to place a deposit will be able to pick up their car in June 2014.