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BMW i8: Jaw-dropping style and green performance, but why?

Why is there a BMW i8? Given the relative simplicity, affordability, practicality and energy efficiency of BMW's i3 sedan – available as a $42,000 all-electric or $46,000 extended-range EV – why design, engineer and build the much more complex and expensive ($137,450) but much less practical, exotic plug-in hybrid i8 2+2 sports car? Are i8 sales really worth BMW's huge investment of engineering effort and dollars? In 2015, BMW sold 2,265 i8s in the US, or about 189 a month. That compares to 11,024 (919 a month) for BMW's own i3, an estimated 27,840 (2,320 a month) for Tesla's battery-only EV Model S sedan and 1,024 (85 a month) for Cadillac's handsome, more practical and less expensive (but ridiculously overpriced and dismal-selling) ELR extended-range-EV luxury coupe. Are such sales really worth BMW's huge investment of engineering effort and dollars? The i8's lightweight Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) "Life Module" passenger cell rides on an aluminum "Drive Module" chassis that houses its complex propulsion system – a 228-horsepower, 1.5-liter turbocharged gas 3-cylinder (half of BMW's 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight six) driving its rear wheels through a six-speed automatic and a 129-hp electric motor twisting its front wheels through a "two-stage" automatic – and a 5-kWh lithium-ion battery. Its drag coefficient (Cd) is an aero-slick 0.26, and BMW says it can run on battery energy alone for up to 22 miles. Its total system output is a healthy 337 horses, and its EPA economy is 76 miles per gallon equivalent in gas-electric mode, but just 28 mpg when it's gas-only. A Driver Experience Control and an eDrive button offer EV and Comfort modes, plus Eco Pro (12 percent more range) and Eco Pro+ (12 more). So what is this gorgeous plug-in hybrid sports car like to drive and live with? I missed its press launch so have been hoping for some quality time with one ever since. Production has been limited, and US press cars are few, but BMW said I would eventually get my chance. It finally happened. If the unlovely i3 is a green technology revelation, this supermodel-sexy i8 is a green styling and performance revolution. If the i3 is the practical soccer mom of battery BMWs, the i8 might be the ultimate Teutonic trophy wife. But really, why do it? For starters, just look at it. Some might see a new, high-tech take on the Giugiaro-designed BMW M1 mid-engine sports car. Just 453 of those were built from 1979 to 1981.

2017 BMW M760i xDrive is an M and a 7, but not an M7

It's still not a proper M7, but the BMW M760i has a lot to offer. For one, it comes with BMW's silky smooth, 6.6-liter V12, good for 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. It looks elegant, even in its Geneva Motor Show-spec shade of matte gray. In terms of baller status Bimmers, this is top-shelf stuff. Or is it? As I discussed in the earlier M760i post, the newly announced Alpina B7 xDrive has just as much power, is quicker to accelerate, and will run to a higher top speed. No, it doesn't come with that awesome V12, but it's a frickin' Alpina, complete with those super rad 21-inch wheels. But I digress. The M760i xDrive (that's all-wheel drive) is quite a beast to behold, and I'm sure it'll stack up nicely with the Mercedes-Benz S600s and Audi A8 W12s of the world. Check it out in the galleries above and below. View 18 Photos The All-New 2017 BMW M760i xDrive. - Superb performance and exceptional luxury combined. - The allure of the most powerful BMW V12 production engine. - First BMW 7 Series M Performance Automobile. Today, BMW announced the all-new BMW M760i xDrive, the latest addition to the BMW M Performance line-up. With the introduction of the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive, the sixth generation BMW 7 Series adds the first M Performance TwinPower Turbo 12-cylinder to its offerings. The all-new BMW M760i xDrive combines luxurious driving, style, safety and innovative technologies while embodying M Performance dynamics with the integration of the first 12-cylinder gasoline engine with M Performance Twin Power Turbo technology. The BMW M760i xDrive will arrive early in 2017 and MRSP will be announced closer to launch. The allure of the most powerful BMW V12 production engine. The M Performance TwinPower Turbo 12-cylinder gasoline engine in the new BMW M760i xDrive has a displacement of 6,592 cc, developing 600 hp (preliminary figure) at 5,500 rpm and peak torque of 590 lb-ft from as low as 1,500 rpm. These performance figures enable the luxury sedan to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds (preliminary figure) and on to a governed top speed of 155 mph. During the development of the all-aluminum block, the engineers focused on maximizing rigidity while also minimizing weight. Using a closed- deck construction combined with bolts holding the cylinder head down on the bed plate of the crankcase, the engine ensures maximum stability on the cylinder liners.

Alpina B4 coupe will be your subtle M4

We're big fans of Alpina here at Autoblog - the BMW tuner has created some seriously delicious products in the past, and recently tuned the diesel-powered 3 Series wagon to create the D3 Bi-Turbo. What we like most about Alpina is how the cars only look subtly more aggressive than stock, yet they pack a real wallop under the hood.
Take this B4 Coupe, recently spotted testing at the Nürburgring. It looks pretty tame compared to the normal 435i, the only visual additions being the Alpina-standard 21-spoke wheels, modified front lip and rear wing spoiler. But under the hood, Alpina is reportedly working on a tuned, twin-turbo straight-six that produces something like 410 horsepower. That means the B4 should be good for a 0-62 time of 4.2 seconds, with a top speed around 190 mph. Rear-wheel drive will be standard, though our spies suggest that Alpina could also use all-wheel drive here in the B4.
We have no doubt that the next BMW M4 will be super hot, but for those seeking a bit more stealth and exclusivity, this Alpina B4 certainly looks the business. Check it out in our gallery above.