BMW, rather hastily, put together a special ceremony at the company’s headquarters in Munich to present the first 8 people who had pre-ordered an i8 with their cars. This was an effort to beat Audi in launching the first car ever with laser headlights.
If you weren’t one of the first eight, don’t despair. Your car will be delivered at the end of this month. But you probably won’t be invited to BMW Welt and treated like like a superstar.
Besides boasting laser headlights, BMW i8 benefits from one of the most advanced hybrid powertrains currently in existence. It consists of a small three-cylinder petrol engine and a couple of electric motors. Together they make 360 horsepower, which means 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes just 4.4 seconds, yet combined fuel consumption stands at 2.1 litres per 100 km (135 mpg imp).
“In November of last year, we welcomed the first BMW i3 customers here at BMW Welt. Today, we are continuing the BMW i success story with the first eight BMW i8 customers worldwide. As ‘the first of a new era’, the BMW i8 combines the sustainable design of a carbon-fiber body with a powerful plug-in hybrid,” said Roland Krüger, BMW’s head of sales and marketing.
