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A special edition “Protonic Red” BMW i8 will be unveiled in Geneva

The BMW i8 is arguably not a great electric vehicle since it’s quite frankly barely electric, but in my opinion it is a beautiful car and the German automaker often uses it to unveil new design features and to show case some interesting technology. Considering BMW is quite committed to all-electric vehicles with a new i3 battery pack coming and a rumored all-electric SUV, I like to keep up with what they are unveiling, and today we learn of a new special edition “Protonic Red” BMW i8 to be unveiled in Geneva.

You can read the full press release below and see a few more pictures:

Comfortably exceeding expectations: BMW i8 is the world’s highest-selling hybrid sports car. Exclusive BMW i8 special editions. Protonic Red Edition gets the ball rolling at the Geneva Motor Show.

Exclusive BMW i8 special editions. Protonic Red Edition gets the ball rolling at the Geneva Motor Show.

Last year, global sales of the BMW i8 exceeded the combined figure of all other hybrid sports cars produced by other manufacturers*; 5,456 units of the i8, which is powered by the combination of a three-cylinder turbocharged engine and an electric drive system, were sold worldwide in 2015. The car’s innovative plug-in hybrid technology delivers system output of 266 kW/362 hp (fuel consumption combined: 2.1 l/100 km [134.5 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions combined: 49 g/km)**. “The success of the BMW i8 speaks for itself,” said Ian Robertson, BMW AG Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “It is already the world’s most successful hybrid sports car and has comfortably exceeded our own expectations. I can think of no better illustration of the relevance of our young BMW i brand.” And the BMW i8 is about to add further lustre to its appeal with exclusive special-edition models poised to be unveiled for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show. The new arrivals present customers with even more ways to own a very individual car.

BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition will be built in Leipzig from July.

The first in this line of special-edition models is the BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition. Like those set to follow in its tyre tracks, it is only available for a limited period. This take on the 2+2-seater with carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell and efficient BMW eDrive drive system technology will be produced at BMW Plant Leipzig from July; it sports a Protonic Red paint finish with accents in Frozen Grey metallic. The colour scheme is complemented by BMW W-spoke 470 light-alloy wheels painted in Orbit Grey metallic with hubs painted in Aluminium matt and mixed-size tyres (front: 215/45 R20, rear: 245/40 R20). Inside the inaugural special-edition i8, red double-stitching and applications in high-grade carbon fibre and ceramic provide indications of its exceptional sporting character.

Largest market presence of any premium supplier worldwide.

Since entering the market in late 2013, BMW i has concentrated exclusively on vehicles designed from the outset for locally emission-free driving. In 2015, sales of the BMW i3 and BMW i8 were around 66% up on the previous year with a total of 29,513 deliveries. BMW i currently offers the BMW i3 in a total of 36 countries. This, together with its portfolio of trailblazing and highly convenient services, gives BMW i the largest worldwide market presence of any electric vehicle manufacturer. In its launch phase, the BMW i brand and its BMW i3 and BMW i8 models garnered more awards and accolades than any other brand in automotive history. Among the distinctions amassed by the BMW i8 are an International Engine of the Year award for both its TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder engine and overall hybrid drivetrain. The BMW i8 was also voted World Green Car of the Year and Green Luxury Car. And it received the Paul Pietsch Award presented by German motoring magazine “auto motor und sport” in recognition of the most innovative technical concept. No other vehicle has ever picked up such a large number of awards in such an array of different disciplines.

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Comments

  1. Electric feel - 8 years ago

    Really? A new color is now considered a “reveal”?

    This is the best bmw can do?

  2. danursu2014 - 8 years ago

    I am saddened by BMW. They are launching unicorn cars no one buys while tesla is stealing all their market share. Wake up. Your combustion engines are not everything there is to a BMW. Don’t quit, adopt change and build electrical cars

    • R3D - 8 years ago

      “No one buys” their cars and “tesla is stealing all their market share”? I’m pretty sure you wrote this comment without any idea of what you’re speaking about. If you have a look BMW 2014 annual report then you can see the increasing sale numbers:

      2010 : 1,461,166 cars
      2011 : 1,668,982 cars
      2012 : 1,845,186 cars (when Tesla got selling Model S)
      2013 : 1,963,798 cars (increasing beside Tesla)
      2014 : 2,117,965 cars (still increasing…)

      The 2015 report’s not done yet, but in the Q1-Q3 they have reported 6.9-8.1% increase in each quarter. So are you still sure Tesla is stealing anything from BMW???

    • Stephen Davies - 8 years ago

      I had a trip in an ‘Electric’ Mini the other day. A really good City Car if you ask me.
      However, until the price of ‘leccy’ cars is approc equal to that of the Petrol/diesel version then they will struggle.
      I drive a Hybrid which at the moment is IMHO the only valid combinaton until you can go into a ‘Leccy’ filling station and do a 5 minute battery swap.

      In five years, I forsee far more Hybrids being sold than pure electric vehicles. The development of fuel cells may well make the Hybrids of 2021 different from Hybrids today. Tesla’s are not the only game in town.

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