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This BMW i8 gains Alpina V8 power thanks to tuner

German engineering firm Gabura Racing Technologies will strip out everything that makes a BMW i8 green in an effort to create a much wilder machine. Rather than a plug-in hybrid with a turbocharged three-cylinder, the company will cram in a twin-turbo V8. The firm even intends to produce a limited run of these insane conversions for customers. Gabura hasn't actually built one of these beasts yet, but it provided several glimpses of how it would work at the 2015 Professional MotorSport World Expo in Cologne, Germany. The company stuffs the engine under the front end in what looks like a quite snug fit. In several of the photos, the top of the valve covers even appears to be above the base of the windshield. According to BBC Autos, this mill is the S63 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 from the M5 and M6. Additional tuning with some help from Alpina allegedly pushes output to around 760 horsepower – more than double the i8's stock figure. One of Gabura's own six-speed sequential gearboxes reportedly transfers the power to the wheels. Gabura recently posted on Facebook that the engineers are now ready for the first conversion. They promised to "completely rebuild it inside-out, fueled with racing technology." We're very curious to see how an i8 looks and sounds after such a significant transformation.

BMW i8 customized by AC Schnitzer [w/video]

It may not enjoy the kind of factory support that Alpina does (let alone Munich's own M division), but as far as independent BMW tuners go, few have the kind of clout that AC Schnitzer does. Heck, it even won the DTM championship for BMW in its first year back in the series. And now the legendary Bimmer tuner has turned its attention to the i8. The list of Schnitzer's enhancements for the plug-in hybrid sports car is long, but perhaps wisely shies away from messing with the intricate powertrain. Instead the customization options focus on elements like the suspension, rolling stock, aero kit, and interior. AC Schnitzer has dropped the ride height by almost an inch at the front and 0.78 inches at the rear. It's fitted a set of 21-inch forged alloys with five split spokes and low-profile rubber to trim nearly ten pounds off the vehicle's unsprung weight while increasing its contact patch for better grip (albeit likely with higher rolling resistance). There's also a comprehensive rolling kit made of carbon fiber, including front spoiler elements, side skirts, and a rear wing that to our eye looks a little out of place on the i8, though individual customers may disagree. And the interior has been upgraded with aluminum pedals and velour floor mats. Of course customers will be able to pick and choose which elements they'd want to install on their hybrid vehicles, but you can check out the fully spec'd demonstrator in the high-resolution image gallery above and in the video below. (You just may want to turn down your speakers if you're not into German techno-pop.) Revolutionary Sporting Performance and Innovative Design The i8 by AC Schnitzer emphasises the strengths of the plug-in hybrid from Munich The BMW i8 is revolutionising its vehicle class as the first sports car to have the fuel consumption and emission values of a small car. Now thanks to AC Schnitzer, this revolution is being followed by another: the AC Schnitzer special equipment for the BMW i8 emphasises even more clearly the sporting performance and innovative design of the powerful, environmentally-friendly coupe. Lowered by 25 mm at the front and 20 mm at the rear, the i8 by AC Schnitzer hugs the tarmac more closely than the standard vehicle and can therefore develop maximum efficiency and dynamics on the road.

BMW mulled ten, eight, and six-cylinder engines for i8 before going hybrid

There's little doubt that the 2015 BMW i8 is one of the most radical and groundbreaking performance cars this industry has seen in a long time. From its unique carbon-intensive construction to its 1.5-liter, three-cylinder and electric motor plug-in powertrain to its concept-car appearance, the flagbearer for BMW's new i venture challenges the very notion of what it takes to be a supercar.
Yet apparently the i8 almost didn't do that at all. Yes, it probably still would've had innovative assembly techniques, serious performance and come-hither bodywork, but according to a new report in the Telegraaf, it was very nearly a much more conventional beast, drawing its power from a V10 engine. According to the report, that line of development never got much beyond the drawing board, but BMW engineers then shifted their focus to both V8 and six-cylinder motivation, going so far as to build prototype cars. The higher cylinder-count engines were eventually dropped altogether after BMW decided to turn the i8 into a hybrid, with the six-cylinder reportedly nixed due to heat management and weight issues. In the end, of course, BMW went with the PHEV powertrain that offers a total system output of 362 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque - plenty of thrust for this lightweight, all-wheel drive coupe while still enabling an incredible 94 miles to the gallon on the EU cycle. Regardless of how it turned out, it's still fascinating to think that BMW didn't have a much firmer conceptual idea of what it was after when it started the i8's development.
Here at Autoblog, we're genuinely thrilled about this new generation of greener hybrid super- and hypercars, a movement spearheaded by the i8, Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari LaFerrari and McLaren P1. But even so, our inner-gearheads can't help but wonder what might have been had BMW pursued a more conventional i8, either in place of, or in addition to, the car they did build. What do you think? Have your say in Comments.