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"The Back Story   In response to a voluntary effort by European manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions, BMW has taken a two-prong approach to not only boosting the fuel economy of its regular production cars, but also by creating a new range of vehicles that takes advantage of the latest advances in hybrid and electric technology. The i lineup includes a small pure electric city car called the i3 and a more luxury-oriented 4-place GT called the i8. BMW first presented the i8 concept as the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Vision concept features a glass nose-to-tail roof and glass butterfly-opening doors. Hybrid power comes from two electric motors, one front, one rear, while the rear axle also gets an extra boost from a 3-cylinder turbodiesel and 6-speed dual-clutch transmission. BMW has since refined the idea and has presented a second i8 concept that is closer to the final production version. The radically styled Vision concept was the ultimate expression of the flame-surfacing approach to styling championed by former design chief Chris Bangle.        BMW i8    What Makes it Unique   The futuristic shape of the is its chief calling card. The flowing lines and flame surfacing are unlike anything out on the road today, so it should stand out even in toned-down production trim. The large butterfly-opening doors provide access to both the front and rear seats, and the Vision concept&amp;#039;s hybrid powertrain has been retained with the exception of a conventional gasoline-powered 3-cylinder engine in place of the turbodiesel. BMW says the combined output of the powertrain will enable a top speed of 155 mph and 0\u201362 mph acceleration of less than 5 sec. The plug-in hybrid can operate up to 20 miles in pure EV mode and BMW says recharge time should take only two hours.        BMW i8    The i8 is built using layered construction. The main body of the car is made primarily of lightweight carbon fiber. It rides atop an aluminum chassis that houses the lithium-ion battery pack in the floor between the rails, while the engine is mounted just ahead of the rear axle. BMW touts the i8 as an ultimate driving machine thanks to its all-wheel drive and 50/50 weight distribution.        BMW i8    Production Plans   The BMW i8 will be on the road in less than two years. Test mules have been spotted on the road and reveal that the doors will be more conventional in appearance, with the lower glass replaced with composite panels due to side-impact requirements. The i3 electric will come first, followed by the i8 plug-in hybrid as BMW launches this new sales channel.        BMW i8 Coupe    What&amp;#039;s Next   At the Beijing Motor Show, BMW showed a roadster version of the i8, which also gives a clue to the car&amp;#039;s production look since it has the new doors that aren&amp;#039;t all glass. The smaller 2-seat concept also showcases a new twin-turbo gasoline engine that combined with the electric motor puts out 354 hp.        BMW i8 Concept Spyder    Video window may take a few moments to load...         "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/news/a18236/the-future-is-now-bmw-i8/>