Last year, BMW announced the i8 was going
out of production. Now, new details are starting to emerge about its successor.
According to Car & Driver, the model is currently under development and was
previewed by last year’s Vision M Next concept.
While the report is light on specifics,
the magazine says the M1-inspired model will follow in the footsteps of the i8
and use an eco-friendly powertrain. However, the new car will be more focused
on performance.
As part of this effort, the i8’s
three-cylinder petrol engine will be replaced by a turbocharged four-cylinder.
The model is also said to have an “electrified front axle” and a rear electric
motor. This setup is rumored to give the car an output of approximately 600 hp.
The powertrain upgrades don’t end with the
engine as the model is expected to have a significantly improved battery.
Details are limited, but the magazine says we can expect an electric-only range
of at least 96 km. That would be a massive improvement over the i8’s
range of 29 km.
Little else is known about the car, but
it’s rumored to use an updated version of the i8’s carbon fiber monocoque chassis.
However, that remains unconfirmed as BMW has been moving away from dedicated
platforms.
If everything pans out, the hybridized
sports car will arrive in 2023 and compete with the Acura NSX and Porsche 911
Turbo. That’s some pretty serious competition and it sounds like we can expect
a serious price increase as well. While
nothing is official, the i8 successor is rumored to cost around US$ 160,000 which
would be a sizable step up from the i8’s base price of US$ 147,500.
