Next month's Frankfurt Motor Show will see BMW's new "i" sub-brand debuting not one, but its two first series production cars , the i3 electric hatchback that goes on sale this fall and which we've already seen, and the more hotly-anticipated i8 plug-in hybrid sports coupe that will arrive in dealerships worldwide during 2014.
BMW isn't quite ready yet to uncover the interior and exterior styling of the i8 2+2 seater coupe, simply releasing photos of a camouflaged pre-production tester, but it is ready to share initial information and specifications.
The first thing you need to know about the i8 is that it was conceived from the outset as a plug-in hybrid sports car, with BMW looking to combine dynamic performance with green credentials.
To do that, it chose to fit the i8 with a brand-new, small displacement 228hp (231PS) 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine sending power to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic, and a 129hp (131PS) electric motor turning the front axle through an integrated two-stage automatic transmission. The two power systems can work independently or together with a combined output of 357hp (361PS) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) for full performance and all-wheel drive stability.
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