BMW has unveiled its i8 Concept Spyder as a representation of “the future where intelligent thinking, advanced materials and innovative construction techniques fuse together to create a high-performance roadster that is outstandingly efficient and environmentally aware.”
In effect, what BMW is trying to say it that the i8 Concept Spyder possesses the performance of a sports car with the fuel consumption of a subcompact.
Although closely related to the original i8 Concept, BMW says the Concept Spyder is strictly a two-seater, with a shorter wheelbase and upward swivelling, windowless doors. It also features a fresher interior design with additional on-board equipment, including a pair of electric scooters housed under a transparent tailgate.
The Concept Spyder’s occupants sit in a very light but strong carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic cell. The car’s lithium ion batteries are housed in an “energy tunnel” that joins the front and rear axles, thereby maintaining a low centre of gravity and ensuring 50/50 weight distribution.
The upward-opening doors pivot forward around the axis of the A-pillar, giving the Spyder a distinctive appearance with them open. BMW says a two-section roof is planned for when the weather is less favourable.
A plug-in hybrid, the Concept Spyder is powered by an eDrive drivetrain combining a high-performance electric motor with a turbocharged, three-cylinder gas engine. The lithium ion batteries can be charged quickly from a domestic power socket. The car uses a 131-horsepower electric motor to power the front axle, and a 223-hp turbocharged three-cylinder engine to power the rear axle. Both have been developed in-house by BMW. With its lightweight construction, BMW says the combined power output of 354 hp propels the Spyder to 100 kilometres an hour in five seconds, yet delivers an outstanding combined fuel consumption of three litres per 100 km.
The electric motor gets its energy from the car’s lithium ion batteries and can be fully charged via a home plug socket in under two hours. BMW says the Spyder has a range of 30 km running on electric power alone, while a high-voltage generator hooked up to the gas engine can generate additional power if needed and store it in the battery. The Spyder can run in front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, the vehicle’s electronics deciding on the optimum drive depending on the situation.
BMW says this third vehicle gives the clearest indication yet of how the company’s fourth brand will appear when it is revealed in 2013.
2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 3
