BMW i8 This Here we go again with another rumour doing the rounds. As endless rumours have on BMW’s Vision EfficientDynamics ever since it first saw the light of day at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. And this one – and we’ve dismissed umpteen rumours inbetween – says that the Vison ED will be marketed as the BMW i8.
BMW's head of research and development, Klaus Draeger, told Autocar, "We want to sell [the i8] all over the world. Diesel is only really relevant to Europe."
Draeger wouldn't say which petrol engine would be fitted to the i8 but whatever it is, it's hard to imagine it matching the efficiency and power of the three-cylinder turbo-diesel from the initial VED concept car. That 1.5 liter power plant churned out 163 PS (120 kW / 161 bhp) and 290 Nm of torque (214 lb-ft). Coupled with the electric motor, total output on the Vision EfficientDynamics was 328 PS (241 kW / 323 bhp) with a consumption rating of 3.76 liters/100 km (62.5 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.
The project lays under the umbrella of maximum sustainability: from the production process, starting with the first supplier, through to component recycling at the end of the vehicle life cycle, sustainability based on the three cornerstones of eco-friendliness, economic efficiency and social compatibility must be the main process driver.
In a past interview, Van Hooydonk said: “The sub-brand offers a chance to innovate as well as feature BMW’s customary design quality and detailing.”
In March 2010, we reported that BMW has filled for several trademarks which seem to confirm the latest allegations around a BMW i sub-brand.
