Photo: BMW
As we're waiting for the i8 to be officially unveiled (even though we saw how the interior will look like today, thanks to some leaked photos), all sorts of numbers keep piling up inside our head, thinking about the new plug-in hybrid.
The i8 is a remarkable car in any way you look at it. No matter the price tag, the level of performance and the technology infused into this sports car is incredible (it uses smartphone Gorilla Glass for God's sake!).
Apart from the CFRP body and the hybrid character of the car, one thing caught our eye: the internal combustion engine. As you probably already know, the i8 has all-wheel-drive and will use a new generation B38 engine that has 3-cylinders and 1.5-liters in displacement.
That being said, the 3-cylinder unit that is posted above the rear axle and is powering it, develops 231 HP, thanks to a turbocharger taken up to 25 psi of boost. That means that the specific output of this engine is 154 HP per liter, the most any BMW engine produces at the moment.
That's not all the power this car has though. Apart from the amazing figures posted by the B38 motor, this car also has an electric unit that produces 131 HP and 250 Nm of torque, powers the front end and is connected to a 2-speed transmission, another first in the EV world.
The total output of the car therefore, reaches 362 HP and 570 Nm of torque, plenty for a car that weighs less than 1,490 kg and needs less than 2.5 liters of fuel to cover 100 km (113 mpg imp.).
Apart from the CFRP body and the hybrid character of the car, one thing caught our eye: the internal combustion engine. As you probably already know, the i8 has all-wheel-drive and will use a new generation B38 engine that has 3-cylinders and 1.5-liters in displacement.
That being said, the 3-cylinder unit that is posted above the rear axle and is powering it, develops 231 HP, thanks to a turbocharger taken up to 25 psi of boost. That means that the specific output of this engine is 154 HP per liter, the most any BMW engine produces at the moment.
That's not all the power this car has though. Apart from the amazing figures posted by the B38 motor, this car also has an electric unit that produces 131 HP and 250 Nm of torque, powers the front end and is connected to a 2-speed transmission, another first in the EV world.
The total output of the car therefore, reaches 362 HP and 570 Nm of torque, plenty for a car that weighs less than 1,490 kg and needs less than 2.5 liters of fuel to cover 100 km (113 mpg imp.).
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