Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
According to Adrian van Hooydonk, the next generation of the BMW i8 would soldier on with plug-in hybrid assistance. The head honcho of design also let it slip that “it probably would be faster and run further” than the outgoing supercar.
Speaking to Autocar, van Hooydonk made a case for plug-in hybridization as “the best solution to realize the dynamics of an M car.” That’s as intriguing as it gets for the Bavarian automaker, but not as intriguing as this prototype here.
Photographed by the carparazzi near and at the Nurburgring, the 850i before your eyes is a “mid-engine chassis testing mule” with the exhaust sound of a straight-six engine. Spied at the Pirelli tire testing facility at the Nordschleife with Pirelli rubber boots, this fellow doesn’t appear to feature a charging port or a PHEV sticker.
Even more curiously, the radiator behind the front bumper is pretty much a match with the bone-stock 8 Series. The side air vents, blacked-out rocker panels, and camouflaged rear end suggest that the engine actually sits behind the driver.
Remember the Vision M NEXT from a year ago? Some say the project has been canned while others expect the next i8 to be the spiritual successor to the M1. The concept features a four-cylinder turbo and electric all-wheel-drive, translating to a combined output of 600 horsepower and 100 kph (62 mph) in three seconds.
Whatever BMW is testing here, a mid-engine supercar the size of the i8 with six cylinders and at least one electric motor sounds like a tempting proposition. Zooming in on the rear bumper and deck also reveals a few differences over the 8 Series, and yes, the engine compartment has enough room for a straight-six.
Don’t, however, get your hopes up for the value for money that Chevrolet offers in the C8 Corvette in Stingray specification. BMW is certain to charge an arm and a leg, probably more than the $148,495 it did for the 2020 model year i8.
Photographed by the carparazzi near and at the Nurburgring, the 850i before your eyes is a “mid-engine chassis testing mule” with the exhaust sound of a straight-six engine. Spied at the Pirelli tire testing facility at the Nordschleife with Pirelli rubber boots, this fellow doesn’t appear to feature a charging port or a PHEV sticker.
Even more curiously, the radiator behind the front bumper is pretty much a match with the bone-stock 8 Series. The side air vents, blacked-out rocker panels, and camouflaged rear end suggest that the engine actually sits behind the driver.
Remember the Vision M NEXT from a year ago? Some say the project has been canned while others expect the next i8 to be the spiritual successor to the M1. The concept features a four-cylinder turbo and electric all-wheel-drive, translating to a combined output of 600 horsepower and 100 kph (62 mph) in three seconds.
Whatever BMW is testing here, a mid-engine supercar the size of the i8 with six cylinders and at least one electric motor sounds like a tempting proposition. Zooming in on the rear bumper and deck also reveals a few differences over the 8 Series, and yes, the engine compartment has enough room for a straight-six.
Don’t, however, get your hopes up for the value for money that Chevrolet offers in the C8 Corvette in Stingray specification. BMW is certain to charge an arm and a leg, probably more than the $148,495 it did for the 2020 model year i8.
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