BMW Malaysia today unveiled the New BMW i8 Coupé, the new iteration of the ground-breaking BMW i8 a plug-in hybrid petrol car which has been a desire for most Malaysian who can now finally place their order to have one in their garage.

First caught the attention of movie goers who watched Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol when Tom Cruise drove the concept version in the streets of Mumbai, the i8 quickly became one of the most iconic BWM vehicles ever used on a film. The beautifully crafted design could be mistaken for something that could have only rolled out of factory floors of Lamborghini or McLaren. The state of the art exterior is only matched with a stylish interior that will make the Equinimity look average.!

An unmistakable feature of the i8 is the scissor door which you don’t often see, the car comes with a  2+2-seater, a long wheelbase, large track widths and an elongated roofline creating wedge shape to give the car its classic sports-car look.

The drivetrain consists of an electric motor on the front axle and an internal combustion engine on the rear. The engine’s power is channelled to the rear wheels through a six-speed Steptronic transmission, while the electric motor drives the front wheels via a two-speed automatic gearbox.The high-voltage battery is located centrally in the car’s underbody to provide a low centre of gravity, with an increased cell capacity of 33 Ah from the previous 20 Ah. The electric motor output has increased by 9 kW to 105 kW, and the electric range now extends to 55 kilometres.

Firing the vehicle forward is a turbocharged three-cylinder combustion engine featuring direct injection and VALVETRONIC variable valve timing extracts a maximum output of 170 kW/231 hp from its displacement of 1.5 litres, plus peak torque of 320 Nm. The engine also comes equipped with a particulate filter as standard that absorbs all the particulate matter contained in the exhaust gases. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, with a fuel consumption of 1.8 l/100 km, which equates to 42 g/km for petrol CO₂ emissions, and 14.0 kWh/100 km for electric power consumption.

Looking Inside

The upper centre console to the instrument panel curves toward the driver in a very acute 12-degree angle. All controls and display elements are within perfect reach of the driver and easy to read. The cockpit is fitted out with the BMW Head-up Display that changes to a sports display that includes revs, gears and shift lights when performing manual gear changes in SPORT mode. The Navigation System Professional features the latest user interface, including a modern tile display with live mode. It is controlled using the iDrive operating system, comprising both a Touch Controller on the centre console and an 8.8-inch freestanding Control Display screen.

Adding a futuristic touch to the interior are the open-pored CFRP Carbon trim on the centre console, door handle and dashboard inlay, the ceramic controls with an embossed i8 logo on the iDrive Controller, and the ceramic finish on the gear selection lever.

The New BMW i8 Coupé’s exterior comes in Crystal White with a Frozen Grey highlight, or the new BMW Individual special paintwork Donington Grey, with the interior in Black Amido or Accaro respectively. 

Price list for the New BMW i8