BMW i8 Concept
BMW put very little effort into its display here at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, and for good reason. Essentially, the Bavarians boxed up all of their spectacular offerings from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, put them on a boat and set sail for Tinsel Town, where all of the vehicles are getting their official North American debut. So while we would have liked to see something new, we're still quite impressed with what we saw.
Most notable are the "i"-badged concepts, futuristic-looking idea cars — a smallish city/commuter car and a range-topping performance machine — that are slated go into production for sale in 2013.
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2013 BMW i3 Concept
BMW i3 Concept
BMW i3 Concept
What is it? Of BMW's two electric concepts, the compact — and sure to be less expensive — i3 is the more practical vehicle aimed at everyday commuters and urban drivers; it was, after all, once known as the MegaCity concept car.
What's hot? It's a futuristic commuter — note the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body on a mostly aluminum chassis — that comes in two flavors: plug-in electric or with an optional range-extending engine. It also includes some neat tricks such as those seen on the slightly smaller MINI E, such as the efficient brake-energy recuperation system and a "coast mode" function, activated by the driver, designed specifically for energy-neutral coasting.
What's not? Even BMW has to deal with the realities of emerging powertrain technologies (read: an 80- to 100-mile range in the all-electric version), and the limited 93-mph top speed and 7.9-second zero-to-62-mph sprint time are hardly BMW-like.
How much and when? Pricing and availability have yet to be announced.
MSN Autos' verdict: For all its cool technology, the i3 will be a hard sell here in the U.S., primarily because it's expected to cost a lot — more than a higher-end 1-Series model. That is, unless it finds more performance or achieves segment-topping range for an EV.
Read Blog: BMW Joins the Electric Vehicle Fray
BMW i8 Concept
BMW i8 Concept
BMW i8 Concept
What is it? Whereas the i3 is the commuter car of the near future come to life, the i8 is the plug-in hybrid sports car that will soon adorn many a wall in poster form.
What's hot? The stunning 2+2 all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid coupe is expected to give the M3 a run for its money in the performance department — think an even-faster sprint to 60 mph, at 4.6 seconds — while putting up eye-popping fuel-economy numbers. BMW expects the production version of the heavily carbon-fiber vehicle to achieve more than 86.6 mpg combined on the U.S. cycle. With a limited top speed of 155 mph, a 400-mile range and recharge time of one hour, 45 minutes from a standard 220-volt wall socket, this is the futuristic BMW that dreams are made of.
What's not? Don't expect the production version of this car to be anywhere near affordable when it goes on sale in 2013.
How much and when? Pricing and availability have yet to be announced.
MSN Autos' verdict: BMW's "i" brand needs the i8 to fulfill the "fantasy" part of its frugal/fantasy one-two punch in conjunction with the i3 commuter car.
James Tate cut his teeth in the business as a race team crew member before moving to the editorial side as Senior Editor of Sport Compact Car, and his work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Automobile, Motor Trendand European Car. When not writing, Tate is usually fantasizing about a vintage Porsche 911.
