The last time we showed you a prototype of the BMW i8 hybrid sports car it was in May of 2011 with a scoop video of the car undergoing cold-weather testing. Now, our spy photographers captured another prototype of the i8 being driven on the snow.
So what’s new about this test car? Well, a lot actually, as whereas the previous prototype was based on BMW’s second concept for an i8, the car featured here is the final production version.
The design of the i8 has progressed with BMW moving the exterior mirrors from the window to the corner of the doors and refining other details such as the door handles, headlamps, bumpers and even the alloy wheel designs.
But while the Bavarians have made some necessary changes, the overall shape of the car along with the aerodynamic details like the rear wings and air channels in front of the rear wheel arches remain unchanged. We still don’t know if the production model will keep the concept’s butterfly-style doors.
We’ll also note that in these photos, the i8’s silhouette with the low front end kind of reminds us of the Audi R8.
The i8 makes use of BMW’s new LifeDrive architecture with aluminium structures and a carbonfibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) body shell to keep weight to a minimum.
The Bavarian firm’s first ever hybrid sports car will be powered by two engines including a front-mounted electric motor sourced from the upcoming i3 hatchback and a rear-mounted 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline unit.
The gasoline unit drives the rear wheels through a dual clutch transmission, while the plug-in electric motor uses a twin-speed transmission to turn the front wheels.
It is believed that the twin-motor setup will have a combined system output of around 350-horsepower, which thanks to the i8’s lightweight construction, should provide a sub 5.0 second time for the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint.
The 2+2 seater i8 hybrid will arrive in the market after the introduction of the i3 hatchback in late 2013.
Photo Credits: CarPix
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