BMW i8 Spyder Concept: Photo Gallery

It may look like something out of near-future sci-fi, but the BMW i8 Spyder concept's future as a production car is nearer than it seems. The automaker has said it will build the high-performance hybrid plug-in by 2014. BMW has even brought some of its space-age features a bit more down to earth in preparation.

More 2012 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

Interior features, from tech to color schemes, now more closely resemble their production counterparts. While the convertible Spyder lacks a backseat, it's unlikely drivers will think long about that as they accelerate from zero to 62 mph while enjoying a 94 mpg combined rating. Check out the gallery below.

Daily News Briefs: June 14, 2012

More details have emerged on the potential Saab asset sell, according to Automotive News. The deal, devised by a Japan-Hong Kong partnership, so far only includes the purchasing rights to the current Saab 9-3 vehicle and a platform Saab was developing called "Phoenix," which was supposed to be the next-generation 9-3. The firm also wants to buy the old Saab factory, but it plans to hire only 200 employees instead of the 3,500 that used to work there. The new Saab company, called National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB, aims to become the world’s largest purveyor of electric vehicles, turning Saab exclusively into an EV maker. The new company won’t have the rights to build the Saab 9-5 or the Saab 9-4x, according to GM, which owns the technology rights to those vehicles. The company won’t own Saab’s spare parts company, either. The biggest omission to the deal is the rights to the Saab brand name; those discussions are still ongoing, according to the company. If the deal goes through, the new company aims to build EVs using Japanese technology on the Saab platform by 2013 or 2014.

In other news:

BMW i8 Spyder Concept: First Look

• Looks like: Ethan Hunt can get a tan in the next “Mission: Impossible” movie
• Defining characteristics: Hybrid power plant, sci-fi looks
• Ridiculous features: Motorized scooters where a trunk should be
• Chances of being mass-produced: Good

We were blown away when BMW announced the original i8 concept. Not just because it was wild looking and featured a performance plug-in hybrid power plant, but because the company says it plans to build it by 2014 ... pretty much as is.

That's why we should pay even more attention to the Spyder version. BMW has altered what was once a concept-car dreamscape interior into one that resembles current BMWs on dealer lots. The iDrive controller, shifter and navigation screen all look more like their production counterparts while the color schemes for the trim and leather seating do the same.

BMW i3, i8 Caught in Chicago

BMW unveiled the i3 and i8 last month, but today our staff arrived at Cars.com’s headquarters in Chicago to find messages from friends and contacts about a commercial being shot a few blocks away with some “odd”-looking BMWs.

Staff photographer Ian Merritt grabbed his gear and headed down to see what the hubbub was about. It turns out BMW did indeed ship its early prototypes for these two electric models to Chicago for a photo shoot. We love Chicago’s architecture as much as anyone, but it’s surprising that the company would go through the expense to put them on our streets just for a series of publicity shots.

Their pain is our gain. Check out the full gallery below.

BMW i8 Concept: First Look

• Looks like: The Fisker Karma has a legit competitor
• Defining characteristics: Electric motor up front, turbocharged gas engine out back and a lithium-ion battery in the middle
• Ridiculous features: Huge transparent doors
• Chances of being mass-produced: BMW says the i8 will launch in 2014

BMW is giving the idea of a sports-car hybrid a shot with its plug-in i8 concept that promises an estimated zero to 62 mph time of less than five seconds. It can fit four people and has an all-electric range of 20 miles.
 
The i8’s rear-mounted gasoline engine — a 220-horsepower, turbocharged three-cylinder — drives the rear wheels and acts as a generator to charge the lithium-ion battery. The battery gives juice to the electric motor driving the front wheels, essentially creating an all-wheel-drive hybrid sports car. BMW says this setup combines the advantages of front-, rear- and all-wheel drive.
 
The lithium-ion battery can fully charge in two hours and power the i8 for 20 miles on electric-only power. To keep weight low, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic is used throughout the car, including the passenger compartment’s shell. BMW says the material is 50 percent lighter than steel but just as strong. The existing weight is balanced perfectly with 50/50 weight distribution because of the two powertrains over each drive axle.
 
Using the European driving cycle for gas mileage, BMW estimates gas mileage of 94 mpg.  As an indicator that the i8 is a sports car, BMW has separate estimates for spirited drivers, ranging from 40.4 to 56.5 mpg during hard driving.