Fortunately, the world moves on, as does that of the hybrid propelled automobile. Today, manufacturers such as Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche have joined the game with their hyper-offerings; all of which dispel the notion that hybrids have to resemble awkwardly styled hatchbacks (and yes Honda Insight, that was a jab at you too). So, not wanting be left out of the race, BMW have joined the fray with their i8 Hybrid Coupe entrant.
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In fact the M1, which was produced for BMW by Lamborghini between 1978 and 1981 in just 456 units, is still the only supercar and, at the same time, the sole mid-engined model to sport the blue propeller.
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What we do get from these fresh spy shots of the i8 that was captured once again during cold weather testing in Europe is a less obstructed view of the car's upper profile as the company's people removed some of the swirly wraps covering the side windows.
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To date, while BMW has set the market introduction of the 1.5-liter TwinPower Turbo engine in diesel and petrol forms for 2013, it has only confirmed the i8 sports coupe and the i3 supermini gasoline-electric hybrids as the recipients of the three-cylinder units.
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Ford will offer a 122HP 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine in the Mondeo mid-size family car and BMW has already revealed a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that is part of the new TwinPower “family”.
On the sidelines of the Paris Auto Show, BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson told reporters that the new 1.5-liter engine, which was displayed on the Active Hybrid Concept, “behaves like a six-cylinder, is half-of a six-cylinder and has the noise of a six-cylinder”.
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As BMW intensifies testing across Europe, our spies are getting closer to the prototypes and this time, they were able to take a couple of shots of the interior.
While the exterior styling of the production model is modeled after the second concept version of the i8 with changes to certain details like the door handles, headlamps and bumpers (the taillights are not real on this model), the interior is completely different.
Unless the German brand has fitted the test car with a fake interior, the styling of the dashboard is in line with other BMW products replacing the i8 Concept's futuristic looking digital instrument panel with a conventional four-gauge layout and obtaining a large center console tilted towards the driver.
The Japanese company's president Akio Toyoda opened up a bag of clues during his speech in Germany by saying that he is "looking forward to a sports car that is environment-friendly and truly excites car fans around the world."
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Speaking to reporters at the grand opening of the i sub-brand’s first sales outlet worldwide on London’s Park Lane, BMW global sales chief Ian Robertson said that the hybrid sports car will sell for "more than €100,000 (about US$125,400 or £80,600)" - apparently in Europe, according to a report from Bloomberg News.
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Despite being slightly shorter and losing two seats compared to the i8 Coupe, the Spyder mirrors its closed-roof sibling in its design, lightweight carbonfiber construction and plug-in hybrid powertrain.
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Once again, BMW was one of the main sponsors of this year's LEGO Kids Fest that took place at the automaker's home town of Munich from April 12 to 15.
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Given the close relationship with the coupe model, it's very likely that the i8 Spyder will receive the green light for production as well with a possible market launch to follow within the next two to three years. The i8 Spyder will make its world premiere at the Auto China Show 2012 in Beijing in late April.
While it shares its basic platform architecture and plug-in hybrid powertrain with the coupe, the Spyder is a strictly two seater model and has a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length.
Other changes include the solid doors, which keep the 'butterfly' design swiveling upwards, the new colors and materials inside, and the redesigned rear-end that now features a transparent engine cover.
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The open-top study is based on the production-intent i8 Coupe Concept that we've seen in several shows this past year.
Aside from the absence of the roof and the elimination of the rear seats, the Spyder also sports solid instead of transparent, rotating doors with different mirror housings and a restyled boot section.
The Spyder retains the i8 coupe's plug-in hybrid powertrain with a mid/rear mounted 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine developing 220HP (164kW) and 300 Nm (221 lb.ft) connected to the rear wheels, and an electric motor driving the front wheels.
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