BMW isn’t resting on its laurels after the July launch of the electric i3. Now comes word that the German automaker will unveil the 2015 BMW i8, a plug-in hybrid sports car that is part of the German automaker’s i lineup of electric-drive vehicles, in October at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show.
The BMW i8 makes its debut four years after the original Vision EfficientDynamics concept debuted at the Frankfurt expo in 2009.
The sporty i8 is expected to use a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that drives the rear wheels, coupled to an electric motor that drives the front wheels. Early reports indicate the i8 will be very light – just over 3,100 pounds – and will produce nearly 400 hp. It will go from 0-60 in under five seconds. On just electricity, the i8 is likely to have range of 20 miles.
The introduction of the i8 indicates that BMW is serious about their electric series. Adding a high performance electric auto to their lineup should allow BMW to snag some of the attention that Tesla has garnered – and put BMW into a leadership role in the area of electric auto making.
Other than various concept photos (such as the one above), no official designs or images of the i8 have been released.