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Only 500 BMW i8 Cars to Make it to the US this Year - Report

BMW plans to make the i8 a highly sought-after car in the United States by actually limiting availability. In a recent interview, BMW USA CEO, Dr. Ludwig Willisch, said that only around 500 units of the new plug-in hybrid sportscar will make it into North America.
BMW i8 1 photo
Photo: BMW
The company’s first plug-in hybrid 2+2 car is already looking like a great deal to those environmentally conscious rich individuals, according to the CEO, not only because of its specs, but also due to its manufacturing process.

"If you look at the carbon footprint of the car, it is a different story that other manufacturers simply can't tell,” the German was quoted saying for Automotive News.

He would be, of course, absolutely right, as the car was designed to be as eco-friendly as possible from the get-go, covering every possible aspect. From the materials used in its construction (like aluminum and CFRP) to the assembly process, everything was thought out to be as less damaging to the environment as possible.

For example, the Moses Lake plant in Washington uses hydropower to produce the lightweight carbon fibre material that is then sent out to Leipzig, where the i8 is assembled. The BMW plant in Germany also uses renewable energy, gathered using wind turbines and solar panels to put it together.

Inside the car, the same approach is visible. The materials used for the door panels, for example, are recycled plastic bottles and the leather is naturally tanned using olive oil.

Even so, unlike its brother, the i3, the i8 doesn’t lack performance at all, being comparable with other proper sport cars that used naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engines, like the R8, for example.

Thanks to its light weight, all-wheel-drive and hybrid powertrain that delivers 362 HP and 570 Nm (420 lb-ft) of torque, the $136,625 car can do 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds, while sipping 2.1 liters of petrol per 100 km (94 mpg).

While it may seem like a dream come true, you should also know that BMW claims that all of the cars that will be built this year have already been sold out. Better luck in 2015!
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