i8 Coupe

Make
BMW
Segment
Coupe

BMW's new i-line of models is slowly making its way to market and Car Magazine claims to have ascertained all the official specs of the new i8 supercar. The plug-in hybrid model with the gorgeous gullwing doors that made its cinematic debut (in concept form) in Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol will allegedly hit a top speed of 156mph and 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds. The new i8 supercar will weigh just under 3,200lbs and boast combined power figures of 393hp and 406 lb-ft of torque.

The power figures beat the concept's output of only 349hp. The aforementioned motivation will arrive via a 170hp electric motor which powers the front wheels and a 1.5-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine rated at 223hp and 295 lb-ft of torque which powers the rear wheels. The BMW i8, according to CAR, can utilize a "very clever black box, (the i8) can be front-wheel drive (ZEV), rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive." In pure electric mode, it can travel 20 miles and on the European driving cycle can return 104.2mpg. It takes 6 hours to charge the battery on standard outlets while with a high-voltage hookup charging time is cut to only 60 minutes.

BMW plans on selling about 10,000 units of their new i8 plug-in hybrid supercar a year with pricing exceeding €100,000.