BMW i8 Hybrid Sports Car India Launch in February

Everyone must remember the first time we saw the BMW i8 on Indian roads. If you don't, let me refresh your memory. It was a movie; the fifth edition of Mission Impossible to be precise. And it was here that we saw the protootype in action on Indian roads under the dark cover of night.

But no one imagined that BMW would put it up for sale here. The announcement came at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo where the company specifically said that the car will be launched in India in the course of the year. Well, there is good news as the car has made its way to India and will be launched next month.

Also Read: BMW i8 Review

The company has already imported two cars at their Chennai facility and with the launch around the corner, we expect BMW to start bookings soon. The production version of the i8 was first showcased at the 2013 Frankfurt Motorshow and the car was an instant hit. Having started deliveries of the car in August 2014, the company has already managed to sell 1741 units of the car till December of the same year.

Under the hood the i8 comes with a 1.5-litre inline 3 petrol engine and a 7.1kWh lithium-ion battery which gives it the tag of a hybrid. Power from the gasoline engine stands at 228bhp, while the electric motor punches out 129bhp, while the combined tally stands at a massive 357bhp.

In all-electric mode the BMW i8 boasts of a top speed of 120 km/h. In Sport mode the i8 delivers a mid-range acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h in 2.6 seconds. The electronically controlled top speed stands at 250 km/h.

It is an extremely exciting car for India as this will be followed by the launch of the i3 soon.