EVO’s Harry Metcalfe gets at an exclusive winter test of the upcoming BMW i8. During winter testing in Sweden, BMW gave selected journalists the opportunity to ride in the next year’s hybrids sportscar.
With all the carbon fiber used in the development of the i8, BMW hints at at a weight just over 3,260 pounds. The 2014 BMW i8 is powered by with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine and two electric motors.
The conventional engine produces 220 horsepower (one variant of it was tested by us last year), while the traction motor makes 128-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. A smaller electric motor develops 5 horsepower, mainly used as a generator and alternator. In the i8, peak combined torque of over 400 lb-ft should translate to a 0-62 mph time of only 4.6 seconds.
The i8 will have a combined fuel consumption in the European test cycle of less than 3 liters/100 km (78 MPG) and average real fuel consumption of between five and seven liters (33 – 47 MPG).
But how does the engine sound? Let’s have a look.
