The upcoming 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show starting next week will be a boulevard featuring an array of new automobiles of several types. Amongst those will be the all-new BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, intended to cater to environment conscious buyers. Ahead of its launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the official snaps of the BMW i8 have emerged on the interweb. We have seen the BMW i8 in the concept guise and from the looks of the production version, the Bavarian automaker seems to have done a tremendous job in maintaining the sci-fi inspired styling on the exteriors as well as the interiors.
The BMW i sub-brand consists of the i3 plug-in hatchback too, which was launched a few months back. The difference between the BMW i3 concept and production version is similar to the i8 concept and production version. The doors on the i8 are smaller and are not made entirely of glass, the cuts and creases are toned down a bit and the lights look sober and more practical than the concept version. However, the doors remain scissor type, inspired by Lamborghini. Overall, the design looks attractive and futuristic.
On the inside, the BMW i8 boasts of similar dashboard layout and design seen on the concept version including the steering wheel, centre console and instrument panel. It’s just that you won’t find any transparent panels and floating console like the i8 concept. The BMW i8 is powered by a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor coupled with an electric motor that produces a combined power of 357 HP and a total drive range of over 500 kms. 0-100 km/hr sprint is achievable in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 250 km/hr. The BMW i8 returns a whopping fuel mileage of 48 km/l.
