BMW is offering its plug-in i8 sports car in a bid to compete with Tesla Motors, which shakes up the luxury auto market.
The company starts deliveries this week of the $135,700 hybrid hot rod to show it can do more than make conventionally powered sedans and sport-utility vehicles.
“BMW’s most expensive model combines an electric motor and a lightweight carbon-fiber frame to get better gas mileage than the Toyota Prius and accelerate faster than a Porsche 911, demonstrating the breadth of its technology with Tesla set to outsell BMW in emission-free cars,” Bloomberg News reports.
The 362-horsepower i8 accelerates to 62 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, compared with 4.6 seconds for the Porsche 911 Carrera.
Combining a three-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor that can propel the car for about 20 miles emission-free, the i8 gets the equivalent of about 135 miles per gallon, compared with 51 mpg for the Prius.
According to IHS Automotive, BMW will sell 23,000 i models this year.
Source: Bloomberg News via The Detroit News
