3 April 2012

Third i-car to debut in Big Apple

This is probably the car with the biggest 'Wow!' factor in the New York Auto Show which begins tomorrow, writes Brian Byrne.

It's BMW's i8 Concept Spyder, a 2-seat open sports car with 354hp from its plug-in hybrid powertrain.

It will reach 100km/h in five seconds and is the third in the 'i' series of concept cars from BMW designed to highlight new directions in power, materials and style.

The turbocharged petrol engine part of the powertrain is a 3-cylinder unit which, like the electric element, has been developed in-house by the Munich carmaker.

The sub-brand has demonstrated its work previously through two concept cars and this third vehicle gives the clearest indication yet of how BMW's fourth brand will appear when it is revealed in 2013.