2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid

2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid

BMW is now concentrating on the development of the first cars to wear the “i” logo, hybrid range-extended and full-electric plug-in vehicles. 2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid is based on the 2009’s Vision Efficient Dynamics concept model, undergoing cold weather tests in Northern Europe.

2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid

BMW also unveiled a revised version of that model, called the Vision ConnectedDrive Concept, during this year’s 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The i8 plug-in hybrid sports car is scheduled to arrive in the market in 2013.

The 2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid is one of two vehicles BMW has planned for its new green-minded “i” sub-brand. First to arrive will be the BMW i3, a compact 4-seat electric vehicle intended for urban driving. Further up the price and performance scale, the i8 will be powered by a hybrid system incorporating a small gasoline-powered engine—though the exact specifics and power output have not yet been released.

BMW has promised that the performance of the 2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid will be in keeping with that of the brand’s other sports models. Other vehicles will then be added to the “i” lineup after the launch of the i3 and i8.

2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid

Lightweight materials—like carbon fiber and aluminum—will make up a big part of the 2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid’s structure. This should help to offset the weight of the lithium-ion battery pack and other high-tech hardware beneath the car’s skin. Regenerative braking and BMW’s stop-start system (which turns off the engine when the car is stopped, and then restarts it automatically when acceleration is needed) will almost certainly be included in the 2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid.

2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid

BMW R&D chief Klaus Draeger revealed that the diesel unit will be replaced with a gasoline engine in the production model but while the electric motors will remain. “We want to sell it all over the world. Diesel is only really relevant to Europe,” Draeger was quoted as saying.

2013 BMW Sports Cars Coupe i8 Hybrid

Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid coming in 2013Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid coming in 2013

Autoweek reports that Mitsubishi will wade into plug-in electric waters in 2013. The automaker's head of electric vehicles, Yoshikazu Nakamura, said the vehicle will be an SUV similar to the 2009 Px-MiEV Concept and that the production version is already nearing the final stages of development. The concept got its pep from a tiny 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine working in coordination with two electric motors and a battery pack. Mitsubishi pegged the Px-MiEV as being able to travel for up to 30 miles one pure electric go-go, so there must be some pretty hefty battery technology onboard as well.

Whether or not the production SUV will use a similar drivetrain remains to be seen. We can say with some certainty that Mitsubishi is likely to simplify the vehicle's name considerably. The automarker has already scrapped the i-MiEV moniker for the somewhat more palatable name of "i powered by MiEV" in the States. We can't wait to explain that one to the fine people of the DMV.

[Source: Autoweek]

Paris 2010: Lotus Esprit Concept previews upcoming revival of a legend

Lotus is ready to make a big impact at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. It brought five concept vehicles to the show (more on the other four in short order), and one in particular has us salivating. Lotus plans to revive the much-loved Esprit for the 2013 model year. Before we see a production version of that car, the automaker is showcasing its Lotus Esprit Concept.

Taking cues from the old Esprit, the Esprit Concept plunks its engine amidship, though instead of honoring the turbocharged four-cylinders that powered the originals, the concept makes do with a meaty supercharged 5.0-liter V8. That V8 will look familiar to fans of the Lexus IS-F. The two-seater will produce 620 horsepower, accelerate from 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds and then blast onward to a 205-mile-per-hour top speed. The plan is to bring the production version to market in the spring of 2013 with a price tag around $175,000.

In addition to the massive, and massively exciting ,V8 power, the Lotus Esprit will also be offered with KERS as an option. KERS, or Kinetic Energy Recovery System, is a system used by Formula 1 cars to recover heat energy generated during braking. The energy is stored until the driver wants a powerful boost and with a push of a button propels the car with more force than two bottles of NOS... the big ones.

Paris 2010: Lotus Elan Concept stuns the crowds

We didn't see this one coming. Lotus' five-car concept explosion at the Paris Motor Show is one of the most welcome surprises sprung on us in recent memory... and the biggest surprise of all may be this Elan. Lotus says its new Elan is slated for a debut in 2013, which makes us wonder what the future may have in store for the current Evora. Pricing for the 2013 Elan is set at $118,500 (£75,000).

In any case, the Elan is powered by a 450-horsepower supercharged 4.0-liter V6 engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox from Toyota, which offers enough gumption to scoot to 62 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 193 mph. Lotus also promises that a hybrid will be available using a Kinetic Energy Recovery System similar to those seen in Formula One a season ago.

Take a good look at the awesome cockpit of the 2013 Elan. Plenty of carbon fiber, plenty of high-tech goodies, even including a digital race track readout for track days. And could anything be better than that awesome flat-bottom and flat-top steering wheel? No, we didn't think so.

Weight comes in at 2,849 pounds and there is room for a driver and a passenger, but Lotus will also optionally deliver the Elan with two itty-bitty perches out back.

Rumor: Mazda Working On Next Generation, Forced-Induction RX-7

If you’re an automotive journalist who’s also a gear head, it’s easy to despair over all the news coming from manufacturer’s these days. Like them or not, we’re about to be force fed a steady diet of hybrid automobiles in every shape, size and configuration. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-hybrid; they have their place in commuter cars. I AM anti-hybrid when it comes to building an enthusiast oriented sport sedan. I don’t want the added weight, complexity or cost of a hybrid drivetrain, especially when the increase in fuel mileage is only 10 to 20 percent.

So with that in mind, I really hope the latest rumor about Mazda, as reported on Autoevolution, is true. Sources at Mazda report work on a turbocharged variant of their Renesis rotary motor, for use in a new sports coupe dubbed the RX 9. The best news is that we’ll see the car as soon as 2013, and it appears that Mazda is taking it in the pure-sports-car direction of the last generation RX-7 Turbo.

There are some significant hurdles to overcome, including lowering emissions from the Renesis motor (now out of production in the EU because of stricter environmental regulations) and boosting the Renesis’ dismal fuel economy. Mazda has tricks up their sleeve to address these failings, but they’re not providing many details. An inside source reveals that Mazda is working on electric turbocharging as a way to reduce emissions, which will need to meet even stricter standards in the EU by 2014.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

13-year-old WCF member and Porschephile, porschecarreragtmay6, has created some renderings of a Porsche 918 RSR race car. Based on the 918 Spyder concept, the pictures show a hardcore coupe, wearing some classic Porsche liveries, designed to compete in the GT1 class.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

Although these renderings were created back in March, shortly after the 918 Spyder's surprise unveiling in Geneva, they provide a potential glimpse of a race spec 918 in the wake of recent reports that Porsche will field the 918 Spyder at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2011.

The 2013 Porsche 918 RSR Race Car comes with 2 electric motors and a 500hp V8 from the “RS Spyder” LMP-2 car. The 918 RSR Race Car will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERs and 500 hp V8. Since GT1 regulated no more than 600 hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp.

As a refresher, the 918 Spyder concept featured a 368 kW (500 PS / 493 hp) V8 engine and three electric motors with a total of 160 kW (218 PS / 215 hp). Packing a combined 528 kW (718 PS / 708 hp), the Spyder sent power through a PDK dual-clutch gearbox (with an electric boost function) to an electric all-wheel drive system.

The 918 RSR model will race the same competitions as the classical 917 race car. It will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERS and the 500hp V8. Since the GT1 regulates no more than 600hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp. The "918 RSR" will be able to hit a top speed of 200mph and will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in than 3.0 seconds.

It will feature a wider track, redesigned front and rear diffusers, as well as a fixed hard-top roof and a huge rear wing. The liveries on these images were created based off of the classic Porsche liveries and designed to compete in the GT1 class.

The Porsche 918 RSR Race Car will top in the 200mph range and will reach 62mph in less than 3.0 seconds, possibly 2.8 seconds. The weight will be around 1,240 kilos, 2,730 lbs.

The weight loss will comes from the loss of the batteries stripped interior and loss of amenities even more extensive use of carbon fiber and a reconstruction of body work.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

13-year-old WCF member and Porschephile, porschecarreragtmay6, has created some renderings of a Porsche 918 RSR race car. Based on the 918 Spyder concept, the pictures show a hardcore coupe, wearing some classic Porsche liveries, designed to compete in the GT1 class.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

Although these renderings were created back in March, shortly after the 918 Spyder's surprise unveiling in Geneva, they provide a potential glimpse of a race spec 918 in the wake of recent reports that Porsche will field the 918 Spyder at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2011.

The 2013 Porsche 918 RSR Race Car comes with 2 electric motors and a 500hp V8 from the “RS Spyder” LMP-2 car. The 918 RSR Race Car will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERs and 500 hp V8. Since GT1 regulated no more than 600 hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp.

As a refresher, the 918 Spyder concept featured a 368 kW (500 PS / 493 hp) V8 engine and three electric motors with a total of 160 kW (218 PS / 215 hp). Packing a combined 528 kW (718 PS / 708 hp), the Spyder sent power through a PDK dual-clutch gearbox (with an electric boost function) to an electric all-wheel drive system.

The 918 RSR model will race the same competitions as the classical 917 race car. It will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERS and the 500hp V8. Since the GT1 regulates no more than 600hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp. The "918 RSR" will be able to hit a top speed of 200mph and will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in than 3.0 seconds.

It will feature a wider track, redesigned front and rear diffusers, as well as a fixed hard-top roof and a huge rear wing. The liveries on these images were created based off of the classic Porsche liveries and designed to compete in the GT1 class.

The Porsche 918 RSR Race Car will top in the 200mph range and will reach 62mph in less than 3.0 seconds, possibly 2.8 seconds. The weight will be around 1,240 kilos, 2,730 lbs.

The weight loss will comes from the loss of the batteries stripped interior and loss of amenities even more extensive use of carbon fiber and a reconstruction of body work.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

13-year-old WCF member and Porschephile, porschecarreragtmay6, has created some renderings of a Porsche 918 RSR race car. Based on the 918 Spyder concept, the pictures show a hardcore coupe, wearing some classic Porsche liveries, designed to compete in the GT1 class.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

Although these renderings were created back in March, shortly after the 918 Spyder's surprise unveiling in Geneva, they provide a potential glimpse of a race spec 918 in the wake of recent reports that Porsche will field the 918 Spyder at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2011.

The 2013 Porsche 918 RSR Race Car comes with 2 electric motors and a 500hp V8 from the “RS Spyder” LMP-2 car. The 918 RSR Race Car will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERs and 500 hp V8. Since GT1 regulated no more than 600 hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp.

As a refresher, the 918 Spyder concept featured a 368 kW (500 PS / 493 hp) V8 engine and three electric motors with a total of 160 kW (218 PS / 215 hp). Packing a combined 528 kW (718 PS / 708 hp), the Spyder sent power through a PDK dual-clutch gearbox (with an electric boost function) to an electric all-wheel drive system.

The 918 RSR model will race the same competitions as the classical 917 race car. It will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERS and the 500hp V8. Since the GT1 regulates no more than 600hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp. The "918 RSR" will be able to hit a top speed of 200mph and will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in than 3.0 seconds.

It will feature a wider track, redesigned front and rear diffusers, as well as a fixed hard-top roof and a huge rear wing. The liveries on these images were created based off of the classic Porsche liveries and designed to compete in the GT1 class.

The Porsche 918 RSR Race Car will top in the 200mph range and will reach 62mph in less than 3.0 seconds, possibly 2.8 seconds. The weight will be around 1,240 kilos, 2,730 lbs.

The weight loss will comes from the loss of the batteries stripped interior and loss of amenities even more extensive use of carbon fiber and a reconstruction of body work.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

13-year-old WCF member and Porschephile, porschecarreragtmay6, has created some renderings of a Porsche 918 RSR race car. Based on the 918 Spyder concept, the pictures show a hardcore coupe, wearing some classic Porsche liveries, designed to compete in the GT1 class.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

Although these renderings were created back in March, shortly after the 918 Spyder's surprise unveiling in Geneva, they provide a potential glimpse of a race spec 918 in the wake of recent reports that Porsche will field the 918 Spyder at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2011.

The 2013 Porsche 918 RSR Race Car comes with 2 electric motors and a 500hp V8 from the “RS Spyder” LMP-2 car. The 918 RSR Race Car will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERs and 500 hp V8. Since GT1 regulated no more than 600 hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp.

As a refresher, the 918 Spyder concept featured a 368 kW (500 PS / 493 hp) V8 engine and three electric motors with a total of 160 kW (218 PS / 215 hp). Packing a combined 528 kW (718 PS / 708 hp), the Spyder sent power through a PDK dual-clutch gearbox (with an electric boost function) to an electric all-wheel drive system.

The 918 RSR model will race the same competitions as the classical 917 race car. It will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERS and the 500hp V8. Since the GT1 regulates no more than 600hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp. The "918 RSR" will be able to hit a top speed of 200mph and will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in than 3.0 seconds.

It will feature a wider track, redesigned front and rear diffusers, as well as a fixed hard-top roof and a huge rear wing. The liveries on these images were created based off of the classic Porsche liveries and designed to compete in the GT1 class.

The Porsche 918 RSR Race Car will top in the 200mph range and will reach 62mph in less than 3.0 seconds, possibly 2.8 seconds. The weight will be around 1,240 kilos, 2,730 lbs.

The weight loss will comes from the loss of the batteries stripped interior and loss of amenities even more extensive use of carbon fiber and a reconstruction of body work.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

13-year-old WCF member and Porschephile, porschecarreragtmay6, has created some renderings of a Porsche 918 RSR race car. Based on the 918 Spyder concept, the pictures show a hardcore coupe, wearing some classic Porsche liveries, designed to compete in the GT1 class.

2013 Porsche Sports Cars 918 RSR Race Car

Although these renderings were created back in March, shortly after the 918 Spyder's surprise unveiling in Geneva, they provide a potential glimpse of a race spec 918 in the wake of recent reports that Porsche will field the 918 Spyder at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2011.

The 2013 Porsche 918 RSR Race Car comes with 2 electric motors and a 500hp V8 from the “RS Spyder” LMP-2 car. The 918 RSR Race Car will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERs and 500 hp V8. Since GT1 regulated no more than 600 hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp.

As a refresher, the 918 Spyder concept featured a 368 kW (500 PS / 493 hp) V8 engine and three electric motors with a total of 160 kW (218 PS / 215 hp). Packing a combined 528 kW (718 PS / 708 hp), the Spyder sent power through a PDK dual-clutch gearbox (with an electric boost function) to an electric all-wheel drive system.

The 918 RSR model will race the same competitions as the classical 917 race car. It will drop the electric motors, but will retain the KERS and the 500hp V8. Since the GT1 regulates no more than 600hp, Porsche may remove air-restrictors from the engine to boost the output to 600hp. The "918 RSR" will be able to hit a top speed of 200mph and will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in than 3.0 seconds.

It will feature a wider track, redesigned front and rear diffusers, as well as a fixed hard-top roof and a huge rear wing. The liveries on these images were created based off of the classic Porsche liveries and designed to compete in the GT1 class.

The Porsche 918 RSR Race Car will top in the 200mph range and will reach 62mph in less than 3.0 seconds, possibly 2.8 seconds. The weight will be around 1,240 kilos, 2,730 lbs.

The weight loss will comes from the loss of the batteries stripped interior and loss of amenities even more extensive use of carbon fiber and a reconstruction of body work.