BMW Project i, Debut in 2012

The over debated, long awaited first vehicle sourced from BMW's Project i team is expected to hit the streets in 2012, according to a report by Car and Driver. The first car to be developed under these engineering and design cues will be a model smaller than the 2011 BMW 1 Series and even than the MINI Cooper. It will also be priced lower than the two, the source stated.

The car is so far dubbed City and, according to Norbert Reithofer, BMW CEO, it is designed with the US market in mind. City will be especially developed to meet California's Zero-Emission-Vehicle (ZEV) requirements.

The City will be an electric four-seater vehicle. The power unit for the Project i car is a water-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, whose performance figures are expected to provide a 100 mile range on a single charge (160 km).

But this will not be the only version of the City. The range will also include either gas or diesel powered engines, intended for Asian markets. From the design stand point, it is too soon to say how the car will look like.

As for the name, rumors say BMW has not yet decided whether City will be badged as a BMW or as a MINI. The name of the first Project i vehicle is also yet to be decided.

If you don't recall, Project i was one of the reasons (but not the only one) which forced Chris Bangle to leave BMW. The main issue then was exactly the one mentioned above: whether to introduce Project i as a new brand or to go for the use of the BMW or Mini ones.