For the first time in automobile history,brswan-wing doors have emerged frombra car housing a three-cylinder engine.brOn paper, this six-figure sports carbrappears to be five cylinders short—but whenbrcoupled with a high-voltage, lithium-ion bat-brtery and what the manufacturer calls “efficientbrdynamics,” this hybrid is turning heads like nobrother. The BMW i8, the second model unveiledbrfrom within the BMW i brand, has it all: power,brluxury and unrealistic efficiency—all wrappedbrup with a futuristically frozen blue ribbon.br
Taking advantage of the latest BMW tech-brnologies in aerodynamic and lightweight yetbrperformance-inspired design, drivers can choosebrfrom three distinct driving modes with the sim-brple push of a button. For those who desire the sus-brtainability of purely electric driving, the Comfortbrand Eco Pro modes do the trick and still main-brtain speeds as high as 75 mph. The third, andbrmost exhilarating Sport mode maximizes bothbrthe 11-hp electric motor and the 1.5 liter, three- cylinder combustion engine to unleash as much as 357-hpbrand top speeds over 150 mph. No matter the mode, the i8bralways achieves a balance between dynamic performancebrand efficiency. Its battery can be recharged through thebrelectric motor during deceleration or via the high-voltagebrstarter/generator responsible for turning over the combus-brtion engine.
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When talking about hybrids, efficiency is where thebrrubber meets the road, and while traveling under enginebrpower, the i8 is rated at a modest 28 miles per gallon. How-brever, when utilizing both electric and combustion power,brthe i8 scores big with an EPA efficiency rating of 76 MPGebr(the distance the car can travel electrically on the samebramount of energy as is contained in one gallon of gasoline).br
When talking about BMWs, elegance is also a factorbrand this BMW is no different. Admittedly so, it is easy tobrget wrapped up in what makes these particular wheelsbrturn, but the futuristic styling both inside and out can turnbrsome serious heads. Lighted ice-blue accents across copi-brous amounts of carbon fiber and Carum grey leather helpbrcreate a Tron-like atmosphere that for some will be worthybrof its space-age price tag.