2015 ZigWheels Awards: Technology of the Year (Cars)-BMW i8

Published February 5, 2016
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Packaging the latest and the greatest in alternative energy into a body that looks like it arrived from the future, the BMW i8 is the worthy winner of the Technology of the Year (Cars) trophy at the 2015 Times Auto Awards in partnership with ZigWheels

Frank Schloeder, Director, Marketing, BMW India

Launched early in 2015 by cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, the i8 is the first ‘i’ car from the BMW stable to enter India. Despite the staggering price tag of almost 2.5 crores in the country, the i8 has high demand across the globe, so much so that BMW can’t produce enough cars to cater to the demand with a waiting period running into several months. That alone is a testament to how much this car deserves this award.

Although essentially a plug-in hybrid on the inside, the i8’s drop-dead gorgeous and futuristic carbon-fibre body combined with a set of butterfly doors makes it every bit as desirable as any of the Italian thoroughbred supercars. Motive power comes from a 1.5-litre TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder engine, an electric motor, and a lithium-ion battery pack. This enables the i8 to have a combined maximum output of 370PS, which allows it to accelerate from 0-100kmph in 4.4 seconds and hit a limited top speed of 250 kmph.

Thanks to the extensive carbon fibre chassis, the i8, despite a large battery pack and an engine, weighs just 1490kg, and has a very low centre of gravity. The plug-in hybrid has a range of 37km in pure electric mode and can go up to a top speed of 120kmph before the petrol engine kicks in.

Although there’s nothing quite like it in the country yet, in terms of price, the BMW i8 goes up against the likes of the Porsche 911, Audi R8 and the Jaguar F-Type amongst others. A technological tour-de-force that is a worthy winner of the Technology of the Year (Cars) trophy at the 2015 Times Auto Awards in partnership with ZigWheels indeed.

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