Expected to be released in late 2017 with new variants being planned
There seems to be a lot of news these days pertaining to BMW’s line of electric ‘I’ vehicles. Autocar magazine is reporting that the BMW i8 is undergoing a mid-cycle refresh that is slated for release later this year.
BMW is rumored to be giving the i8 more power, a wider range, chassis updates and adding new lightweight components in an effort to improve performance. The high-technology 2+2 first went on sale in 2014.
The combined 1.5-liter three cylinder turbo gasoline engine and front-mounted synchronous electric motor are set to receive a 10% increase in power pushing output to right around 420 horsepower.
The bump 10% bump in power in combination with a software update for the six-speed automatic transmission is also expected to improve acceleration of the i8 coupe. The current coupe has a 0 to 62 mile per hour time of 4.4 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.
BMW is rumored to be working to extend the range in the battery pack of the i8. It was just announced that the i3 will be receiving a 50% increase in battery capacity from 22 kWh to 33 kWh. At this point in time, we don’t have any information regarding battery capacity for the i8 as it is a closely guarded secret.
The Formula E Safety car may have some clues in terms of what we can expect for the refreshed i8. It features a 10.0 kWh battery, modified upper wishbones and mounting points with revised springs and dampers. It also has a 15 mm lower ride height with 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 245/30 front tires and 285/30 rear Michelin Pilot Super Sport Tires.
The unveiling of the refreshed i8 is expected to coincide with the introduction of the i8 roadster, which was confirmed to be the next model from the company’s i brand.
