BMW will celebrate its 100th anniversary and mark the occasion with a high-performance version of the company’s all-new i8 model. This modification will feature the letter “S” added to its name and a powertrain ready to produce more than 500 hp.
The i8S will roll off the production line in 2016, when the Bavarian company is set to celebrate the remarkable date. As reported by Automobileсо, a special jubilee model was initially supposed to get the i9 badge. Moreover, BMW has already registered the i9 trademark. Apparently, the automaker decided to reserve it for a more significant model.
There is no word yet about the powerplant of the hybrid supercar. The total output of 500 hp leaves room for manoeuvre in this question. At the moment, two versions are undergoing testing. The first one comprises a 2.0-litre petrol-powered 4-cylinder twin-turbo engine delivering around 320 hp and a 204-hp electric motor, which gives the total of 524 hp. The second version includes a 3.0-litre V6 producing 480 hp and a 109-hp electric motor with the total output of 589 hp.
The current modification of the BMW i8 is powered by a 362-hp hybrid powertrain (a 1.5-litre 231-hp combustion engine and a 131-hp electric motor).
The jubilee i8S should be 0.6 seconds faster than the regular version when sprinting to 100 km/h — it is expected to run from 0–100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. However, its top speed is still electronically limited at 250 km/h.
Let's proceed to the most important part, the price of the new model. The price of the BMW i8S is reported to be 30 percent higher, which means it will cost somewhere around €165,000.
