Author:
ROBIN ROBERTS
The most exciting new BMW for many years will have a British heart to keep your pulse racing.
BMW has announced that its Hams Hall engine plant near Birmingham will build the new generation three-cylinder petrol engine for the future i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.
Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW, said at the international automotive summit in Canary Wharf, “Our Hams Hall engine plant, which last week celebrated production of the three-millionth engine since the plant was opened in February 2001, will make an important contribution to the future success of the new BMW i brand and the company’s strategy for achieving sustainable mobility.
“The new 3-cylinder petrol engines will enable our future BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car to set new standards for dynamic performance in combination with industry-leading fuel-efficiency and low carbon emission levels.”
The BMW i8 Concept is a contemporary sports car boasting an innovative eDrive plug-in hybrid concept combining an electric drive system with a high performance three cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine producing 349hp/300Nm.
Acceleration of 0-62mph in under five seconds combined with the fuel consumption in the European cycle of under approximately 78mpg gives sports car performance with small car fuel consumption.
Thanks to its plug-in hybrid drive, most daily journeys can be taken in zero-emission all-electric mode with an electric range of approximately 20 miles. The 2+2 seater provides enough space for four people giving a high level of everyday practicality and it should be available in about a year’s time.
Over three million engines have been produced to date at the Hams Hall engine plant for a wide range of BMW and MINI vehicles. This milestone follows record production in 2011 and confirmation that facilities are to be upgraded to enable production of the new generation of engines.
The UK-built engines are supplied in sequence to production plants in Germany, Austria and Oxford and currently power the BMW X1, BMW 1 Series, the new BMW 3 Series as well as all MINI petrol engines.
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