BMW i8’s demand is more than its initial production run

BMW, last year, announced that the i8, the latest hybrid sportscar from their portfolio, was sold out for a year after its official unveiling. They did not specify their annual production then, but the carmaker now says that the strong demand for the plug-in hybrid supercar has already surpassed the initial production run that the company had planned.

The production of the BMW i8 is scheduled to commence next month and customers will start receiving their car in June this year. The car will first reach European dealerships followed by the different car markets worldwide.

The BMW i8 is powered by a three-cylinder 1.5-litre TwinPower turbocharged engine synchronised to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery, which in combination churn out 360bhp of power. The car can do the 0-100kmph sprint in 4.4seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 250kmph. BMW claims that they have improved the performance and fuel efficiency of the carbon fibre car while keeping a tab on the CO2 emission levels, keeping them as low as 49 gm/km.

BMW’s new plug-in hybrid, the i8, has been creating a furore wherever it has been going. Ever since its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, the concept car had created an excitement amongst car enthusiasts and BMW fans. Right from the premiere of the production version at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year to the unveiling of the car by Sachin Tendulkar at the recently concluded Auto Expo, the first modern hybrid sportscar from the German automaker has left everyone enthralled.