LISBON, Portugal — As proof that car companies no longer make showcars just for giggles, a senior BMW authority out of Munich has assured Inside Line that the Vision EfficientDynamics plug-in pure hybrid 2+2 concept car rolled out in September at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show is earmarked for production. No ifs, ands or buts.
Reaction to the 356-horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque plug-in electric (one lithium-polymer battery stack + two electric motors) with dedicated lighter-weight three-cylinder diesel range-extending engine mounted amidships has been off the charts. Now we're all waiting for more details and, of course, that sticky price issue.
Our executive source goes on to say that total volume is being debated, but that it will fall between 5,000 and 10,000 units. The prototype's powertrain and basic sub-3,000-pound assembly will remain intact, but, says the source, "there will be less of the synthetic glass and more solid structure added to the final design." Uh-oh. We know why these alterations are needed, but does this mean it's going to migrate toward being a sort of sleek Toyota Prius? Let's hope not.
When we asked if this could finally be BMW's second true production supercar after the Giugiaro M1, the response was a firm "quite probably." So maybe our Prius/Honda Insight fears are overreaching. It'd be nice to maintain that 0.22 drag coefficient and the hellacious looks.
IL also learned that the BMW future product engineers are also noodling nonstop with the hybrid drive system in order to make our test of the Vision EfficientDynamics prototype this summer in southern France a real-world high-speed thrill. It should be even quicker than the previously quoted 4.8 seconds to 62 mph.
"And that name that the marketing people forced on us," says our mole, "that's going to change for sure."
Inside Line says: Another stunning German electric land missile to make oil embargoes a thing of the past as soon as possible. Anything left in that 401(k), though? — Matt Davis, Correspondent
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transpower says:
04:06 PM, 05/18/2010
I PRAY that it won't cost more than $60,000!
norman_1 says:
04:11 PM, 02/07/2010
" the 356-horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque plug-in electric "
Do these figures comply with SAE J1349 regulation? I think not, which means these numbers are:
1) overstated when compared with others in the U.S. market;
2) "juiced" by 10-to-15-second only "burst" mode.
Sad that nowadays, media is more interested in what's hot rather than where the truth lies.
magbarn says:
12:04 PM, 01/31/2010
ChromieD says:
11:02 AM, 01/31/2010
Probably just the same sort of performance as when a normal car runs out of gas, right? Or throws a piston. Or....or....or. The simplicity of an electric car - whether you're excited or sceptical about them - is incredible versus a standard car today. Big pluses there.
Look, I get what you're trying to say, but when's the last time it took you 2 hours to fill up your gas tank? Until we devlop super-capacitors, or quick drop-in battery swap techniques, or a yet-to-be-discovered battery tech that has high capacity AND quick recharge, your high-performance car is still limited in totat energy capacity.
I race RC-cars as a hobby, both 1/8th scale nitrous powered and lithium-ion. The electric car is definately faster off-the-line due to the high torque and it's much simpler to work on. But I'm still limited to short run-times, and unless I have an extra pack to swap in (each pack takes at least an hour to charge and that's at a fast rate which hurts the battery long-term, the nitro car can keep running as the fuel tank just has to be filled in seconds.
ChromieD says:
11:02 AM, 01/31/2010
Probably just the same sort of performance as when a normal car runs out of gas, right? Or throws a piston. Or....or....or. The simplicity of an electric car - whether you're excited or sceptical about them - is incredible versus a standard car today. Big pluses there.
If electrics really start to go good with the public, it'll be because humans are learning how to deal with the car's needs versus the inefficient technologies we've been no-braining for the past 80 or so years.
It's all good stuff, but humans hate to change. Just gotta deal with the learning process at the same time that engineers dive into making it all work better and better.
magbarn says:
10:09 AM, 01/31/2010
ChromieD says:
06:16 AM, 01/31/2010
for magbarn - Yeah, TV was a joke in the early 1950s, too. The Japanese little cars with their silly engines that lasted forever were a joke in the early 1970s. No way these billions being invested in these joke electrics will ever amount to anything, right? Talk to you in ten years' time, apeman.
Yeah, we've got billions invested in welfare, and it sure doesn't come out to anything other than more welfare being reproduced... Anyways, back to high end electrics, even in 10 years, unless there's a new kind of "super-duper" battery that comes out, you're still going to be quite range limited. I'd like to see how well this car performs on a track... after the battery runs out.
ChromieD says:
06:16 AM, 01/31/2010
for magbarn - Yeah, TV was a joke in the early 1950s, too. The Japanese little cars with their silly engines that lasted forever were a joke in the early 1970s. No way these billions being invested in these joke electrics will ever amount to anything, right? Talk to you in ten years' time, apeman.
magbarn says:
10:53 AM, 01/30/2010
These hybrid "supercars" are a joke. If you can afford a >$150,000 car fuel economy becomes moot, even at $5.00 per gallon. I'd be surprised if this car can outrun a $60,000 M3
guy1974 says:
10:29 AM, 01/30/2010
Fuhteng - And I'm sure a certain other car magazine will declare it the greatest car of all time, like they do with most BMWs.
Maybe that is because BMW does make soem of the best cars ever and for sale now.
hondacura4 says:
07:51 AM, 01/30/2010
Hey Ito, I know you stated that you certainly would like the chance for Honda to build a "green supercar", now is your chance.
hazzeleyezz says:
06:40 AM, 01/30/2010
very sharp
fuhteng says:
03:24 PM, 01/29/2010
Good lord they need to change the name, and make it less offensive to look at. But hey, at least they're trying, right? And I'm sure a certain other car magazine will declare it the greatest car of all time, like they do with most BMWs.
dino6 says:
03:04 PM, 01/29/2010
Makes more sense than making ever more powerful twin turbo V-8s. Let the electric car/hybrid voltage/wattage/amperage race begin.
Tesla has certainly proven that you can make fun to drive, high performance electric cars.
jackson611 says:
02:11 PM, 01/29/2010
maser birdcage.
icecubefosho says:
01:47 PM, 01/29/2010
I want an Infiniti Essence to come out!
throwback says:
01:18 PM, 01/29/2010
I think they have to make this car. Mercedes is building an electric SLS, Audi has the E-tron, and no doubt Lexus will have a hybrid super car also. This car however, is truly stunning. Will this powertrain find it's way into other BMW models?