The highly anticipated BMW hybrid sportcar, the i8, is on the last stretch, with production already well underway.

But while we await for the first units to be shipped, we take a look back and see that the development was not all just smooth sailing.

It is true that a lot of tech that went into it was already tested on the smaller i3, as the two models share plenty, but some issues still arose. While BMW doesn’t make a habit of sharing them with us, we did get to see an early i8 prototype experience issues on the Nurburgring.

During a test run, the car started to slow down and eventually pulled over on the grass. As it was later explained, some brake fault was discovered. Still, the car managed to ride off on its own, so it must not have been something serious. Of course, we shouldn’t expect to see any braking issues once the BMW i8 arrives to owners, because that’s exactly test runs like this exist.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW i8 found some issues on the Nurburgring appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The diligent spies of the industry have caught the new BMW i8 testing on the Nurburgring.

Clad in camouflage, its presence here can only mean one thing: the i8 is pretty much production ready and needs fine tuning.

The BMW i8 will be using a hybrid system to get its power. This consists of BMW’s new 1.5 liter, three cylinder turbocharged engine placed at the back and an electric motor at the front. The gasoline engine alone is good for about 220 Hp and 300 Nm of torque, but coupled with the electric motor, the power spikes up to 400 Hp an 550 Nm torque.

As if the power at its disposal wasn’t enough, the BMW i8 is also quite light, adding to the performance figures. It all sums up to an acceleration to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds. The low weight of the vehicle also counts towards fuel consumption. Between that and the hybrid system, the BMW i8 will average 2.7 liters per 100 km.

It’s all good when you look and these numbers, but to balance things out, the price will leave a sore spot on your wallet, with an estimated cost of 200.000 USD.

Photo credits: autoevolution.com

About Post Author

Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post BMW i8 spied at Nurburgring appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.