The new BMW i8 Coupé and its "butterfly' doors (Photo: BMW Malaysia)
With its bedroom-poster good looks, ground-hugging proportions and sporty "butterfly" doors, the new BMW i8 Coupé is the most striking car BMW has ever made, and boasts game-changing statistics with regards to performance and efficiency. A major player in the electric mobility game, BMW delivered over 100,000 electrified vehicles all over the world last year, while local sales of electrified BMW and MINI vehicles accounts for over 55% of total sales. Indeed, the Munich marque remains well on course to achieve its aim of selling over 140,000 electrified vehicles in 2018.
Priced at a cool RM1.8 million, the new BMW i8 Coupé’s calls for a little more than spare change but is commensurate with what it offers — a revolutionary combination of luxurious style and design, extreme power and absolute efficiency.
Pure power
The i8 Coupé’s drivetrain consists of an electric motor on the front axle and an internal combustion engine on the rear. The engine’s power is channelled to the rear wheels through a six-speed Steptronic transmission, while the electric motor drives the front wheels via a two-speed automatic gearbox. The high-voltage battery — located centrally in the car’s underbody to provide a low centre of gravity — boasts an increased cell capacity of 33 Ah from the previous 20 Ah, the output of the electric motor is up to 105 kW and the range now extends to 55km, broadening the reach of all-electric mobility well beyond the city limits.
The turbocharged three-cylinder combustion engine featuring direct injection and VALVETRONIC variable valve timing extracts a maximum output of 170 kW/231 hp from its displacement of just 1.5 litres, plus peak torque of 320 Nm. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, with a fuel consumption of 1.8 l/100 km, which equates to 42 g/km for petrol CO 2 emissions, and 14.0 kWh/100 km for electric power consumption.
Dynamic design
The New Generation of a Vision features a brand new LifeDrive vehicle architecture which will represent all BMW i models to come. It offers a horizontally split structure comprising an aluminium chassis and a CFRP passenger cell to offer an exceptional degree of design freedom. The visionary styling of the BMW i8 Coupe therefore succeeds in expressing not just the car’s dynamic performance credentials, but also its outstanding efficiency.
The flat bonnet, visible aerodynamics measures, short overhangs, a long wheelbase, large track widths and an elongated roofline create an aura of dynamism, lightness and efficiency. Its streamlined and flat silhouette is combined with a pronounced wedge shape to give the car its classic sports-car look — an impression that is accentuated by its unmistakable scissor doors that open forward and upward.
Interior luxury
The interior of the New BMW i8 Coupé continues the progressive design of the exterior with a classic BMW i8 drive orientation in line with the sporty, dynamic concept. The upper centre console to the instrument panel curves toward the driver at a 12-degree angle, while all controls and display elements are within perfect reach of the driver and easy to read.The cockpit is fitted out with the BMW Head-up Display, while the Navigation System Professional features the most up-to-date user interface, including a modern tile display with live mode. It is controlled using the iDrive operating system, comprising both a Touch Controller on the centre console and an 8.8-inch freestanding Control Display screen.
Adding a futuristic touch to the interior are the open-pored CFRP Carbon trim on the centre console, door handle and dashboard inlay, the ceramic controls with an embossed i8 logo on the iDrive Controller, and the ceramic finish on the gear selection lever.
Read more about the BMW i8 Coupé here.
