The BMW i8 sports car, the German luxury carmaker’s first plug-in hybrid model, will make its Korean debut in the latter half of the year.

With the consumption and emission values of a compact, BMW touts the new model as the “most progressive sports car” on the market.

The i8 is the second car model of BMW’s Project i, which started in 2008 with the aim of seeking more sustainable and future-oriented mobility.

Following the first full-electric compact i3, the i8 is a hybrid that combines an electric motor and a powerful petrol engine. 

The key characteristic of the i models is the separation of the so-called Life module (the carbon fiber-built passenger compartment) from the Drive module (the aluminum drive train and battery compartment.)

The BMW TwinPower Turbo 1.5-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine, which was newly developed as part of the BMW EfficientDynamics strategy, unites all the advantages that one would expect from a powerful sports car, says the carmaker.

Combined with the hybrid electric motor, the i8 boasts 362 horsepower, while its zero-to-100 kilometer per hour acceleration takes only 4.4 seconds. Its fuel economy is a stunning 47.6 kilometers per liter.

The car also offers a variety of drive settings ― Comfort, Eco Pro, Sport and eDrive. Full-electric driving is possible up to a range of 37 kilometers. 

Pressing the eDrive button allows the i8 to drive without support from the combustion engine on any drive modes until the battery is almost exhausted. The maximum speed is 120 kilometers per hour.

While marketing the sexy, scissor-doored sports car for enthusiasts, BMW also plans to up the ante in the soaring sport utility vehicle market here with its powerful new lineup ― the new X3, X4 and X6 ― to be launched in the latter half of this year.

The all-new X4, in particular, aims to lure those seeking sportier driving as it combines all the performance and capability of a premium sports activity vehicle with the style and elegance of a traditional coupe.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)