Category Archives: Information

BMW North America releases final price, options, packages, wheel options

BMW of North America has released final pricing, options, packages and wheel options for the new 2014 BMW i8.

The majority of i8 orders were allocated as the ‘Pure Impulse World’ limited launch package that will be available in model year 2014 and 2015 only and costs $10,800. 90% of the production was secured for this package in order to meet the expected demand.

Pure Impulse Package

Carum Spice Grey full perforated leather
i8 designation on headrests
Seat belt in BMW i Blue
Surface of gear selector switch in zirconium oxide ceramic
Floor mats with leather border in black with contrast stitching in BMW i Blue
Engine/Trunk Cover in black leather
Laser engraved i8 door sill finishers
All brake calipers painted in black high-gloss with blue detail and ‘BMW i’ designation
BMW i Pure Impulse Card for the BMW i Pure Impulse Experience Program (details TBA)

The remaining 10% of the production will be for the ‘Tera World’ package and ‘Giga World’ which is $3000 or $2000 option, respectively.

Base price USA Port of Entry for the 2014 BMW i8 is $135,700.

BMW i8 orders open in Japan; pricing announced

BMW has announced that they are now taking pre-orders for the BMW i3 and BMW i8 in Japan. The i8 plug-in hybrid supercar is scheduled to arrive in Japan in summer of 2014.

Extremely wide and low, the BMW i8 is a sports car at first glance. With nearly perfect 50:50 front to rear weight distribution, the i8 has the basis for the characteristics of a classic sports car.

The intelligent plug-in hybrid system uses a 131 hp electric motor on the front axle, and the rear axle is driven by a BMW TwinPower 1.5 liter 3-cylinder engine with 231 hp of peak performance. Together the pair accelerates the BMW i8 from 0-62 mph in 4.4 seconds.

Depending on what the driving situation demands, all four wheels can be powered simultaneously, or instead front, or rear, or all-wheel drive can be utilized.

Top speed in fully-fledged all-wheel-drive mode is 250 km/h.

The i8 has a variety of driving modes: Comfort, Eco Pro, and Sport and the eDrive button optimizes the vehicle properties of your BMW i8 according to the current driving situation.

In pure electric mode, an all electric range of 35 kms is possible.

In the COMFORT mode, the fully-charged BMW i8 starts electrically. Purely electrical driving up to approximately 60 km/h is possible in the city; even pulling away from traffic lights and overtaking are purely electrical.

The ECO PRO mode allows the BMW i8 to maximize its efficiency. The acceleration, engine settings, heating and cooling systems are all adjusted to be as efficient as possible. Pure electrical driving is possible up to a maximum of 60 km/h.

SPORT mode activates vehicle settings specifically suited to sporty driving. The combustion engine and the electric motor work together to provide driving torque with full dynamics, the accelerator’s characteristic line is programmed to react instantaneously and the driver gets the full impact of the electric motor’s boost function.

By pressing the eDrive button, the i8 demonstrates its pure electric performance. This button can be used in COMFORT and ECO PLUS modes. In COMFORT mode with eDrive, the BMW i8 drives without help from the gasoline engine until the battery is almost completely discharged.

BMW unveils production i8 at Frankfurt Motor Show

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This morning, from the show floor of the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, BMW gave us our first real look at the BMW i8 in all of its glory – without that goofy blue camouflage that has filled our lenses for the past few years.

In addition to showing off the production ready i8 plug-in hybrid supercar, BMW also announced that pricing for US buyers would be $135,925 which includes the destination and handling charges.

It was unsaid when the BMW i8 will be available for pre-order, or reservation depending on the ordering method BMW employs, but BMW did say the i8 will be in US showrooms in the Spring of 2014.

…will have a manufacturer’s suggest retail price of $135,925 (including destination and handling) when it arrives in US showrooms in spring of 2014.

With an overall weight of 3,285 pounds, it’s significantly lighter than most other plug-in hybrid vehicles, partially because of the small 5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, but also because of the carbon fiber reinforced plastics that were used for the body-on-frame construction of the i8.

Overall horsepower of the gasoline engine and the electric motor combined is 362 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, which allows the i8 to accelerate from 0 to 62mph in around 4.4 seconds!

For more information, and to discuss buying and purchasing plans for the BMW i8, check out our i8 forum.

BMW i8 Forum

Welcome to the BMW i8 Forum! Dedicated to all things about the i8, this forum is for prospective buyers, owners, and enthusiasts alike.

As part of the My Electric Car Forums group of sites, this forum is part of the largest network of electric vehicle enthusiasts on the internet.

First introduced at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, the BMW i8 was originally called the BMW Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics. The BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and was announced that it was destined for production.

Although specs on the production version of the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle are not available, BMW has released figures on the concept version of the i8. Using a 7.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the i8 has an all electric range of 22 miles. The top speed is electronically limited to 160 mph and can sprint from 0 mph to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. The i8 is expected to deliver 80 mpg in normal driving conditions (on the European test cycle).

The i8 PHEV combines the drive system of the BMW i3 with a 129 hp electric motor powering the front wheels. The rear wheels are powered by a 1.5 liter 3 cylinder gasoline engine producing 220hp for a combined total of 349 hp.

BMW was very careful in designing this vehicle to have a low center of gravity to enhance aerodynamics and handling – they were able to locate the battery in the energy tunnel. With a front and rear motor, weight distribution is at 50/50.

Expected cost of the BMW i8 is more than €100,000 (GB£78,000 or US$122,800), according to BMW head of sales and marketing, Ian Robertson.