The stunning BMW i8 has become the world’ best-selling hybrid sports car.
The stunning BMW i8 has become the world’ best-selling hybrid sports car. In fact, the global sales of the i8 in 2015 exceeded the sales of all other hybrid sports cars from other manufacturers put together. BMW sold 5,456 units last year.
“The success of the BMW i8 speaks for itself,” said Ian Robertson, BMW AG Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “It is already the world’s most successful hybrid sports car and has comfortably exceeded our own expectations. I can think of no better illustration of the relevance of our young BMW i brand.”
The hybrid sports car is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged inline three petrol engine paired with two electric motors and a 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery. The combined power output from the powertrain is 357 hp and 570 Nm of torque. The car accelerates from a standstill to a 100 kmph in just 4.4 seconds and it goes on to a top speed of 250 kmph. The claimed efficiency is 47.45 kms to a litre of fuel. It competes against the Porsche Panamera S E-Hyrbid and the new Honda NSX.
BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition
To commemorate the achievement, BMW is releasing a special version at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It will be called the Protonic Red Edition and it will be finished in Protonic Red paint with accents in Frozen Grey metallic. The wheels are finished in Orbit Grey metallic with hubs painted in Aluminium matt. On the inside, it gets red double-stitching and applications in high-grade carbon fibre and ceramic. The car will be on sale only for a limited time period. This is the first special edition of the i8 and will be manufactured at BMW’s plant in Leipzig from July.
In India, the BMW i8 has been priced at INR 2.29 crores (ex-showroom, New Delhi).