BMW launches their own Wikipedia version featuring the new BMW i8. The German only microsite aims to inform the reader all he or she would like to know about the i8, from configuration and options, to launch videos, photos and social media mentions.
First units of the BMW i8 were delivered last month in Munich, U.S. customers will get their first cars in August at Pebble Beach. Globally, it is said that the i8 production is sold out for the next two years and prices are already skyrocketing. We have heard that some U.S. customers paid over $200,000 to get one of the first units.
Here are some of the things you will learn by visiting the website.
BMW i8 uses a plug-in hybrid system consisting of a turbocharged three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and BMW eDrive technology in the form of an electric drive system. The 1.5-liter combustion engine develops 170 kW/231 hp and drives the rear wheels of the BMW i8, while the 96 kW/131 hp electric drive sends its power to the front wheels and allows an all-electric range of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).
The innovative vehicle architecture of the BMW i8 comprises two elements: the Life module, the passenger cell made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and the aluminum Drive module, which incorporates the entire drivetrain and chassis technology. The LifeDrive concept and use of CFRP allows production times to be cut by half compared to those required for an equivalent car built along conventional lines. The process is less investment intensive as the high costs required for a conventional press shop and paint shop are no longer an issue and the Life and Drive modules can be manufactured alongside one another.
In Germany, the BMW i8 starts at €126,000, while in the UK it will cost £ 99,125. The U.S. market will get the i8 at a base price of $135,700.
