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materials, such as carbon fiber, help to offset its heavy driveline. While the i8's exterior looks like something that might take to the skies, you won't find any flux capacitors inside. Its interior is a familiar character that reminds us of that classic BMW feel, while simultaneously maintaining that nuanced i8 style. Forget everything you know about hybrids. With a curb weight of 3,455 lbs, the BMW i8 clocks in at 4.2 seconds on its 0 to 60 time and is capable of hitting 155 mph. Between the vehicle's sharp handling and agile steering, the i8 is every bit as fun to drive as it is to look at. The BMW i8 includes an all-wheel-drive powertrain consisting of an electrically assisted, 1.5 L turbocharged three-cylinder gas engine (228 horsepower) in addition to its 129 horsepower electric motor (357 total). The driver has the option to change the drivetrain from electric to electric-assisted in order to tap into its gasoline engine. This transition transforms the i8 from a front- wheel drive fuel saver to a rear-wheel drive sports car with assistance from an electrically powered front. The i8's 420 pound-feet of torque may not seem like much, but its force will glue you to your seat. With its 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery playing a crucial role in fuel efficiency, the i8 is the best of beauty, brawn, and brains all rolled into one. The i8 might silence those who say hybrids can't be a blast to drive, but it does much more than that. Its innovative aesthetic and powertrain open the doors for the green cars of tomorrow. Better looking, faster hybrids mean more buyers which equals less gas and less air pollutants. If Doc Brown made the switch from Uranium to Mr. Fusion, why can't we? The sports cars of our childhood imaginations no longer live in some foreign future, they exist today in the BMW i8. BMW i8 HORSEPOWER: 357 0-100 KM/H: 4.2 seconds TOP SPEED: 155 mph TORQUE: 420 ENGINE: 1.5L turbocharged Inline-3 gasoline ELECTRIC MOTOR: 98 kW BATTERY: 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery W W W. V U E N J . C O M 119

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