skip to main | skip to sidebar
All Cars Bikes News
RSS

New Concept Car: BMW i8



It’s been nearly two years since BMW’s Vision EfficientDynamics concept debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt show, and the car has now officially re-emerged one step closer to production as the BMW i8 concept. As you can see, little has changed in the styling department. In fact, other than a new wheel design, the only other notable change we’ve spotted concerns the doors, which seem to have claimed some territory along their bottoms and thereby reduced the size of the blue body-side accent. Interestingly, the car didn’t show that change when BMW paraded it around for spy photographers this past March, but we like it.

As with the i3 city car concept that debuted at the same time (you can read about it in full here), the story of the i8 begins with its LifeDrive architecture. BMW says that its experiences in creating the Mini E and 1-series-based BMW ActiveE showed that adapting cars engineered for internal-combustion power to electric propulsion results in a lot of excess weight and compromises in packaging. As a result, both the i8 and i3 are built using two purpose-built modules: one to house passengers, dubbed “Life,” and one for propulsion and suspension components, called “Drive.” Combine them, and you have a car—and marketing-friendly “LifeDrive” branding.

While the i3 and i8 share the LifeDrive architectural philosophy, the cars differ in execution. That’s because the i3 is fully electric, while this i8 is a plug-in hybrid, so its Drive component is actually split in two, with an electric motor at the front axle and a gas engine at the rear. Unlike the i3, which situates its batteries below the passenger compartment, the i8’s lithium-ion cells are actually part of the Life module, stacked through a central tunnel that might house a transmission and driveshaft in a conventional car. Arranging them this way allowed BMW’s engineers to achieve yet another claim of perfect 50/50 weight distribution, thereby preserving peace in the city of Munich. As in the i3, the i8’s Drive components are largely crafted of aluminum, while the Life module uses a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic monocoque. Using so much lightweight material essentially cancels out the added weight of the heavy electric drive components, thereby allowing the car to weigh less than 3300 pounds, according to BMW. The rigidity imparted by the carbon fiber also allows for long, dramatic doors that ease access to the two small rear seats, and is a boon to crashworthiness, too.

While most other so-called “through-the-road” hybrids (meaning the propulsion systems each drive their own axle) are based on existing front-drive vehicles—meaning they add electric power to the rear wheels—BMW had the luxury of starting from scratch. Because most braking energy gathers at the front of the vehicle, the i8 has its electric motor up front for the sake of recapturing energy. The i8 uses a modified version of the i3's electric motor, with a peak output of 168 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. It’s fed juice, of course, by those lithium-ions, which take about two hours to charge and return 20 miles of all-electric driving.

Thanks to: Car and Driver


4:20 PM



Newer Post Older Post Home
best cars news
upcoming cars bikes
cars bikes wallpapers
bmw cars news
up cars news
1st cars news
all bikes wallpapers
automotive cars bikes
audi cars news
hq wallpapers gallery
find a cars

    Popular Posts

    • 2011 Lifted Dodge Trucks For Sale Overview with prices
    • honda civic coupe si 2000 preview and specification
    • 2011 mercedes benz c230 kompressor parts Specifications, Pictures, Prices
    • 2011 Ford F250 Diesel Lifted prEview and safety features
    • 2011 volvo v50 r design white performance review with specification
    • 2011 Toyota Previa Camper Van preview and prices
    • 2011 Mercedes C200 Cdi prEview and safety features
    • 2011 Lincoln Navigator Interior prEview and safety features
    • simson duo
    • 2011 Mercedes Benz Clk55 Amg preview and prices

    Blog Archive

    • ▼  2011 (1185)
      • ►  August (101)
      • ▼  July (90)
        • New Concept Car: BMW i8
        • New Concept Car: BMW i3
        • Spied: 2014 Mercedes CLC
        • New Car: 2012 Renault Twingo
        • Sneak Peek Up Date: 2013 Infiniti JX
        • Unofficial Picture: 2013 Subaru XV
        • Hot News: 2013 Audi Allroad
        • Hot News: Toyota Prius Family
        • Hot News: Land Rover Defender to be Axed?
        • Spied: 2012 Renault Twingo
        • New Car: 2012 Hover H6
        • Hot News: 2013 Subaru Impreza WRX STi
        • New Car: 2011 Mazda 2 Black
        • New Car: 2011 Mazda MX-5 Sport Black
        • New Car: 2011 Mercedes S-Class Grand Edition
        • Spied: 2013 Fiat Panda
        • Hot News: Land Rover Plans Evoque Cabriolet
        • New Car: 2012 Ruf CTR 3
        • Hot News: New Hyundai Azera to Debut at LA Show 2011
        • Hot News: Next-Gen Mini Line-Up Expands
        • Spied Up Date: 2013 Porsche 911
        • New Car: 2012 Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Coupe
        • New Car: 2011 Honda Ridgeline Sport
        • New Car: 2012 Honda Pilot
        • New Concept Car: Honda CR-V
        • Hot News: Porsche Baby Boxster Gets Green Light
        • Unofficial Picture: 2013 Mini Paceman
        • Hot News: 2015 Toyota Alphard
        • Hot News: Bentley SUV Gets Green Light
        • Spied: 2014 Chevrolet Colorado SUV
        • Hot News: Caterham is Going to Enter Chinese Marke...
        • Hot News: 2013 Smart Roadster
        • Hot News: Subaru Impreza & WRX will Split?
        • Recall Up Date: 2002 - 2011 Ford Vehicles
        • New Car: 2012 Toyota Fortuner
        • Hot News: 2012/2013 Acura CSX
        • Hot News: Buick Baby SUV
        • New Car: 2012 Shelby Tuatara
        • New Car: 2011 Fiat 500 First Edition
        • Recall Up Date: 2007 Ford Five Hundred & Mercury M...
        • Spied: 2013 Dodge Small-Car
        • Spied: 2014 Ferrari Hybrid
        • Hot News: Skoda is Going to Build New Compact Salo...
        • Hot News: 2013 Volkswagen Golf
        • Hot News: Porsche Plans to Release Evoque's Rival
        • Spied: 2013 Audi S6 Avant
        • Spied: 2012/2013 Audi S8
        • New Car: 2012 Toyota HiLux
        • Spied: 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo
        • Hot News: Is Renault Clio Williams Back?
        • Spied: 2013 Lexus GS
        • Recall Up Date: 2003 - 2011 Dodge Ram
        • New Car: 2012 Audi A5
        • Hot News: Porsche Plans to Release 928?
        • New Cars: 2011 BMW 1-Series & 3-Series Peformance ...
        • Hot News: Cadillac Flagship Sedan Gets Green Light
        • Hot News: Next Outlander Will be the First Plug-in...
        • Hot News: Chrysler Plans to Sell Fiat Panel Van wi...
        • New Car: 2013 Peugeot 508 RXH
        • New Car: 2012 Abarth Punto Evo Esseesse
        • Spied: 2013 Dacia Popster
        • Hot News: Subaru Plans to Release Some New Models ...
        • New Car: 2011 Mazda MX-5 Karai Gleams
        • New Car: 2011 Volkswagen Polo Match
        • New Concept Car: Renault Frendzy
        • Hot News: Aston Martin V12 Zagato Gets Green Light
        • Hot News: 2015 BMW M3
        • Unofficial Picture: 2012 Mercedes C63 AMG Black Se...
        • Hot News: Does Kia Plan to Show V8 Coupe Concept a...
        • Sneak Peek: 2013 Infiniti JX
        • Spied: 2013 Aston Martin DB
        • Unofficial Picture: 2012 Toyota Camry
        • Spied: 2013 Audi A4
        • Spied: 2013 Mini Countryman JCW
        • New Cars: 2011 Renault Twingo 133 & Clio 200 Silve...
        • Spied: 2014 BMW MPV
        • Hot News: BMW M2?
        • Hot News: Infiniti Plans to Release Audi A3 Rival
        • New Car: 2011 Ford Fiesta Sport SE
        • Spied Up Date: 2013 Range Rover
        • Spied: 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed
        • American Muscle’s 3rd Annual Mustang Show
        • Recall Up Date: 2011 BMW X3
        • Hot News: Lexus Plans to Release Small SUV Based-o...
        • Hot News: Volvo Plans to Establish Peformance Brand
        • Hot News: Saab Deal Spawns New Models
        • Hot News Up Date: Next Mazda MX-5 Gets Turbo Engine
        • New Car: 2011 BMW 520d EfficientDynamics
        • Spied Up Date: 2013 Mercedes B-Class
        • New Car: 2012 Alfa Romeo MiTo
      • ►  June (149)
      • ►  May (238)
      • ►  April (488)
      • ►  March (95)
      • ►  February (24)
    • ►  2010 (500)
      • ►  November (123)
      • ►  October (299)
      • ►  September (78)
    • ►  2009 (497)
      • ►  October (6)
      • ►  September (156)
      • ►  August (152)
      • ►  July (160)
      • ►  June (23)
    Top Car-Reviews Sites Online Marketing
    TopOfBlogs My Ping in TotalPing.com Automatic Ping

Copyright © All Rights Reserved. All Cars Bikes News