BMW i8 Coming Soon...

We're moving into a new age of vehicles. Slowly but surely, more and more manufacturers are producing the sort of vehicles Marty Mcfly would be drooling over, and even though most are just concepts for the time being – some are already being pushed and are expected to be on the roads in the next ten years.

BMW i8 - Roaring into the Future

Design wise, Kia has been a bit of a leader in this new-age look. Just look at the Optima, it has the sort of wheels that evoke a sense of futurism and the front grill, with it's strange arches and bends, compliments that ideology too. However, inside the car isn't much different, you still have your standard looking seats and a wheel, nothing to fancy – okay a few cool technical bits and bobs, but nothing you'd think was really pushing the boundaries of modern technology.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please make way for BMW and their series of i-vehicles. BMW have had a vision – and they're pushing for it to go all the way. So what's making this car cause such a stir in the petrolhead community?

After successful testing of the vehicle back in 2009, the decision to put this vehicle into a series production was quickly made and agreed on. The i8 (and now subsequently the i3 too!) is the next, big step by BMW to introduce a new member to its Vision EfficentDynamics Concept.

Inside The Beast

The result? Most likely the most progressing, forward-thinking sports car of our time. Its innovative plug-in hybrid concept flawless combines a modified electric drive system from the i3, fitted directly over the front axle, with a high performance 3-cylinder combustion engine, generously producing  164 KW/220HP and 300Nm (221 ib-ft) at the rear. Fusing together, they give you a two-drive system which displays there talents to the full. The performance of a sports car, and the efficiency of a small, eco-car.

Specification for the i8 are a little guess-worky right now, but BMW claims that it can do 0-60mph in just under five seconds, with a fuel consumption of 2.7 litres per 100 kilometres, meaning an MPG of 104 – Wow. This is achieved by BMW's unique eDrive technology, which in essence is just a rather large lithium-ion battery, which, by the way, can be charged from your mains. With the ability to travel up to 20 miles on electric power alone, and with enough space for four people – I think we can all agree this is a very exciting project that BMW are planning to make real.

The Future is coming

The i8 also utilizes a 'LifeDrive' architecture, this has been carefully produced and tweaked by the company to deliver unbeatable performance and superb sports-car character. The motor in the front axle module and the combustion engine in the rear and intricately inter-connected by what BMW are calling an 'Energy Tunnel' – which is home to a high-voltage battery. This gives the car a low centre of gravity, and the dynamics to match. The engine positioning has been so carefully thought out to deliver an optimum 50/50 split of weight distribution.

No one knows when this car will come to life, or when you'll see one in your local BMW dealership, but I think it's safe to say – it's coming...and everyone is getting rather excited.