BMW i8 to launch in India on February 18 - IAB Report [Spotted in Chennai]

Expected to be priced at INR 2 crores.

Update - The i8 has been spotted in Chennai by Facebook page 'The Exotic Cars and Bikes in Chennai'.

BMW India has announced that the BMW i8 hybrid sports car will be launched on the 18th of February, 2015. The car, which has made a few local appearances including the Auto Expo debut last year, and at dealerships recently, is powered by a hybrid powertrain (a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor) which can produce a maximum of 360 hp and 570 Nm of torque.

Likely to be priced at INR 2 crores (ex-showroom), the BMW i8 weighs 1,485 kg, and can do 0-100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds, while the top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.

The electric motor drives the front wheels and gets a 2-speed gearbox while the engine is connected to the rear wheels via a 6-speed gearbox. Another electric motor, smaller in size, works as the car's starter motor but can also fill in torque gaps of the the engine, in order to offer seamless power delivery.

Also read: 2016 BMW X1 (India bound) exterior and interior rendered

The vehicle gets a 2+2 seating capacity, high-tech dashboard, and laser headlamps. The latter made it on to the i8 to make it the first production vehicle to sport laser-beam headlamps at the global stage, but in India, the Audi R8 LMX wears that crown.

The i8 would be available in limited numbers, given that the worldwide demand exceeded the first year's production. Recall that BMW India had showcased the its precursor, the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept, at a special event in 2011.