BMW I8 Spied at the Nurburgring… Again

Stephen Elmer
by Stephen Elmer

Spring is here and the Nurburgring is full of test cars, one of which is BMW’s i8 hybrid sports car.

This new set of photos doesn’t show anything new about the car, except for a fresh shade of bright blue camouflage.

Powering the i8 is a 170-hp electric motor combined with a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder gas engine that makes 223 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, giving the car a 0-62 mph time of 4.9 seconds. The quick sprint can be attributed in part to the car’s relatively light weight — around 3,197 lbs.

On a full charge, the i8 can run for about 20 minutes on pure electricity. Using a standard plug, the car will take about six hours to fully juice up, while a high-voltage charger can fill up the i8 in under an hour.

The German automaker anticipates the i8 to sell around 10,000 units a year and pricing will be over $130,000 (€100,000).

The production model of the BMW i8 is scheduled to make its official debut in 2014.

GALLERY: BMW i8

Discuss this story at BimmerWerkz.com

Stephen Elmer
Stephen Elmer

Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>

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