Photo: BMW
On Tuesday, FIA announced the preliminary roster of manufacturers that will be taking part in next year’s Formula E championship. Among them is BMW, which will be joining Audi, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz in a competition that heats up by the minute.
For the series, BMW is working on a brand new car, one which will form the technological basis for the new line of commercial, electric SUVs which will wear the iNext badge.
For the first time ever, BMW introduced the new race car to the track in Munich, during a demonstration on the BMW and MINI Driving Academy course. Behind the wheel of the car sat Racing Bart Mampaey’s Tom Blomqvist.
Unfortunately, with this announcement and the release of a set of photos of the impossibly-named iFE.18, BMW did not make public any technical information about the model, as to not hint to any of the capabilities of the iNext.
BMW does say the drivetrain is completely new and is mounted on the chassis for Formula E presented at the Geneva Motor Show. Without giving any numbers, the carmaker says the “impressive comparison figures” between the racer and the engine in the BMW i3 is testimony enough of the advancements made in electric technology.
We could do some simple math if we take into account the fact that BMW rates the performance of the iFE.18 at "100 percent" that of the i3, adding that it could rev 400 percent higher than its production counterpart.
“The BMW iFE.18 is a milestone for our company,” says Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport director.
“This Formula E project has seen the most remarkable technology transfer between production and motorsport in the history of BMW.”
The first public appearance of the BMW iFE.18 will be in Calafat, Spain, on April 17, when it will be tested alongside all the Formula E teams.
For the first time ever, BMW introduced the new race car to the track in Munich, during a demonstration on the BMW and MINI Driving Academy course. Behind the wheel of the car sat Racing Bart Mampaey’s Tom Blomqvist.
Unfortunately, with this announcement and the release of a set of photos of the impossibly-named iFE.18, BMW did not make public any technical information about the model, as to not hint to any of the capabilities of the iNext.
BMW does say the drivetrain is completely new and is mounted on the chassis for Formula E presented at the Geneva Motor Show. Without giving any numbers, the carmaker says the “impressive comparison figures” between the racer and the engine in the BMW i3 is testimony enough of the advancements made in electric technology.
We could do some simple math if we take into account the fact that BMW rates the performance of the iFE.18 at "100 percent" that of the i3, adding that it could rev 400 percent higher than its production counterpart.
“The BMW iFE.18 is a milestone for our company,” says Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport director.
“This Formula E project has seen the most remarkable technology transfer between production and motorsport in the history of BMW.”
The first public appearance of the BMW iFE.18 will be in Calafat, Spain, on April 17, when it will be tested alongside all the Formula E teams.
Google News