Pieces of the 2015 BMW i8's Drivetrain Revealed

This is an i8 prototype.

After launching the i3 urban electric car, BMW has now put out details about its i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. The i8 is all-wheel-drive, but not in the way that you might think.

The gasoline engine of the i8 is a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder churning out 231 horsepower and 236 pounds-feet of torque. With four valves per cylinder, an aluminum construction and the Valvetronic variable valve timing and lift function, the engine is essentially BMW's famed inline-six engine chopped in half. This is the basic engine that will be used in the next Mini Cooper.

Being a 3-cylinder, a balance shaft has been added on to counteract vibrations and there's a multi-stage damper within the six-speed automatic transmission. The engine is placed in the middle of the vehicle, and it powers the rear wheels.

The front wheels are turned by 131-horsepower, 184-pounds-feet-of-torque electric motor. A two-stage automatic transmission is integrated within the motor. Being completely separate from the engine, the electric motor can run simultaneously with the engine to allow a maximum of 362 horsepower and 420 pounds-feet of torque. BMW claims a zero-to-60 acceleration of less than 4.5 seconds and a 155-miles-per-hour top speed. The curb weight of the i8 is 3285 pounds, and the drag coefficient is a decent 0.26.

When the car is just running on electricity, top speed is limited to 75 miles per hour, range is 22 miles, and the car is estimated to achieve 95 miles per gallon on the European fuel economy test.

There are three driving modes: Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport. With both a full gas tank and a full battery charge, you are able to travel 310 miles in Comfort mode. Eco Pro extends that range 20 percent. In sport mode, the six-speed automatic can be shifted manually, the suspensions stiffens, and energy regeneration is turned up a notch.

The production i8 will debut in September at the Frankfurt Auto Show. It will go on sale in the U.S. shortly after its i3 sibling does in the spring of 2014.

Comments

2015 Honda Accord LX Sedan Long Term Update

Hey readers! It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog. In fact, it's been more than half a year. I'm really sorry to the negative three people who read this blog regularly, but here is a new post! School is finally winding down, so I thought that I'd review the new Accord my family bought last September and give an update on how it's doing. In the highly-competitive, yet stagnating, field of midsize family sedans, the Accord has reigned as the best or second-best seller for many years. After a controversial eighth generation that ran from 2008 to 2012, the ninth generation is considered Honda's comeback to producing quality products.

2003 Honda Odyssey EX-L Review

These pictures aren't of the actual vehicle, but the colors and trim level are correct. Those of you who have been following this blog since its inception know that my parents have two cars: a 2006 Nissan Sentra and a 2005 Mazda MPV. Well, we recently swapped our dear little MPV for a 2003 Odyssey. The reason for that is, well, there isn't much reason. It's mostly to spice things up in our lives and have a different car for a change without spending any extra money. Our Odyssey came with every bell and whistle you could get in a minivan in 2003, including a factory-installed DVD entertainment system, leather seats, heated seats in the front, and dual power sliding doors. First impressions were a mixed bag. The engine was very smooth, quiet, and powerful, apparently typical of Hondas, but there was a rough patch between 1000 and 1500 RPM or so. You can't feel the road textures at all while driving the car, but it crashed loudly over larger bumps. Loud can als...

Big News: We Bought a New Car!

It is an exciting day for me! As the title says, my family bought a new car! We haven't done that since 10 years ago when we bought our 2006 Nissan Sentra. There it is, parked on the driveway right after we drove home from the dealership. Isn't the color so nice? The interior is beige, too! It's the perfect color combination. Getting that car to be on our driveway, though, was a laborious and drawn-out task. We started car-shopping yesterday morning, when my dad and I test drove the Camry and Accord. At first, we headed for the Ford dealer intending to test drive the Taurus and Fusion, but it shunned us by saying that it was "too busy for test drives." There were maybe two other people at the dealership then. Whatever. We then headed to a semi-rural Honda dealership in search of an Accord. I was expecting it to be loud and firm-riding in traditional Honda fashion. Instead, it impressed me with its solidity. Unfortunately, the specific Accord ...

From the Passenger's Seat

Search This Blog