BMW’s chief of research and development says that the brand wants the i8 to be sold all over the globe, so a petrol engine will be needed.
According to Autocar, BMW’s upcoming i8 supercar won’t be a diesel-electric hybrid like the Vision EfficientDynamics prototype and concept upon which the i8 was based.
BMW’s i sub-brand will launch the i8 supercar in 2013, but it will be powered by a petrol engine.
Klaus Draeger (head of BMW’s research and development) stated to Autocar that “we want [the i8] to be sold all over the globe.” Diesel is really only relevant for Europe.
Draeger would not say what petrol engine would be used to power the i8, but it is hard to imagine it competing with the three-cylinder turbo diesel from the initial HTMLED concept car. The 1.5-liter powerplant produced 163 PS (120kW/ 161bhp) as well as 290 Nm torque (214lb-ft). The total output of the Vision EfficientDynamics was 241 kW / 323 Nm of torque (214 lb-ft). It also had a 3.76 liters/100km consumption rating (62.5 mpg US) as well as 99 g/km CO2 emissions.
BMW may be able match the 4.8 second sprint time (0 to100 km/h, 62 mph) of its diesel-powered i8, but will it still manage those consumption figures with 700 km (434 miles) on a 24L tank?