After BMW proved it could build a fuel-efficient sports car and a carbon fiber hybrid the German automaker is now reaching for the stars. Speaking at a recent electric vehicle conference, the automaker revealed that it's working on a plug-in hybrid with an incredibly high efficiency target. To be exact, BMW's target is a Prius-punting 588 miles per gallon. To get there, the car will have a lithium-ion battery, an electric motor with an unspecified power output, a turbocharged two-cylinder engine, and a drag coefficient of 0.18.

All together the car will weigh 2,650 pounds and have the ability to reach 112 miles per hour while carrying 12.3 cubic feet of cargo. This car may be what recently leaked BMW patent application photos were alluding to. If so, then this car may be the next in BMW's fuel-efficient i Series. BMW says that there is little chance that this car will actually make it to production given that the company has had a hard time getting its i3 out of dealership lots, but it may serve as a technology testing platform for future fuel-sipping Bimmers. Time will tell what BMW is up to, but with such a high fuel economy target, this car far outdoes the hyper-efficient VW XL1.