Reports from a few months back indicated that the brand new and quite revolutionary 2014 BMW i8 would set U.K. buyers back around 150,000 pounds. However, the official price for the BMW i8 has finally been released and it is a lot cheaper than we were expecting.
Prices in the U.K. start at 99,845 pounds for the base model but as with all BMWs and cars of this prestige, add on a few options and that price will skyrocket. As it stands, BMW claims to have received 100 deposits for the sports car in the United Kingdom thus far.
Under the hood, BMW i8 features an aluminium Drive module incorporating a traditional internal combustion engine, two electric motors, a battery as well as all the electronics. That traditional engine is a mid-mounted 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder powertrain pumping out an impressive 231 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels.
However, BMW wasn’t entirely satisfied with those figures and also fitted an electric motor up front which on its own produces 131 hp and 184 lb-ft of instantly available torque. As a result, the BMW i8 produces a total of 362 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque and is good for a sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
Fortunately, BMW didn’t focus all their energy on the powertrain and spent a considerable amount of time ensuring the BMW i8 is lightweight. This aim has been achieved thanks to a carbon fiber module making up part of the chassis and weighing 50% less than steel. As a result of this and BMW’s incredible engineers, the BMW i8 achieves a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
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