BMW elected a driver-focused look for the i8's interior, with a big shift lever sprouting from the center console and flat-screen gauges directly in front of the driver. Occupants sit low in the car, with the hump created by the battery pack running down the middle of the cabin. The i8 is officially a 2+2, so although it has seating for four, the rear seats are extremely cramped. The trunk holds just 5.3 cubic feet of cargo, the same as a Mazda MX-5 roadster.
The center console is also home to the BMW's iDrive controller, parking-brake button, and engine start/stop button. Two 8.8-inch touch-screen displays present information on everything from the radio and navigation systems, to battery charge and electric range. The interior is finished in a mix of Porcelain White plastics, Stream Blue accent trim, and Mocha Brown leather.
There are two special driving modes available in the i8: ECO PRO adjusts the accelerator sensitivity and climate control to improve efficiency, turning the gauges and illuminate blue in the process. Sport mode, as the name suggests, is meant for enthusiastic driving and brings a large, orange-lit digital speedometer to the forefront of the displays.
To keep energy efficiency as high as possible, the i8's navigation system will pre-determine which powertrains to use for different parts of the journey. It might run the gasoline engine on the highway, for instance, then switch to electric power for the final few miles of a trip.
The Future Might Arrive in 2013
The numbers sound like the perfect convergence of performance and eco-mindedness: 0 to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds, 155 mph, and 87 mpg. That assumes that BMW actually builds the car as seen here. The i8 is still a concept car at this point, and its styling will undoubtedly change before it goes on sale in 2013. We also have yet to hear a definite price tag. BMW says the car will return a profit, so given how much technology and materials research went into the i8, it's a fair bet the car will be expensive. We had previously heard the i8 could cost as much as [euro]120,000 (about $171,000).
The numbers sound like the perfect convergence of performance and eco-mindedness: 0 to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds, 155 mph, and 87 mpg. That assumes that BMW actually builds the car as seen here. The i8 is still a concept car at this point, and its styling will undoubtedly change before it goes on sale in 2013. We also have yet to hear a definite price tag. BMW says the car will return a profit, so given how much technology and materials research went into the i8, it's a fair bet the car will be expensive. We had previously heard the i8 could cost as much as [euro]120,000 (about $171,000).
The BMW i8 will debut publicly at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and should go on sale by the end of 2013.
Nice
ReplyDelete