BMW's Next Big Thing: The i8 Plug-in Electric Supercar

The official unveiling of the BMW i8 hybrid sports car is scheduled for September 10 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but images of the car have been "leaked" ahead of the debut.

The BMW i8 hybrid will be powered by a 1.5-liter twin-turbo diesel with 231 hp, acting on the rear axle, and a 131 hp electric motor driving the front wheels. 

BMW expects the hybrid to do well over 100 mpg.

And that mileage efficiency doesn't come at the cost of speed.  The i8 hits 62mph in less than 4.5 seconds and can level out at a full 155 mph.

The photos reveal a somewhat futuristic but elegant interior, wing doors and a stunning exterior.

If you'd like to compare it to the i8 Spyder concept vehicle, click here.

So how would you like a hybrid with M3 like performance, Prius-beating efficiency and killer supercar looks?  Not a bad combo.

Source:  Carhoots

Mini MINIs Are Used During Track & Field Events at London Olympics

In a very creative branding move by Olympic sponsor BMW, a small fleet of radio controlled MINI Coopers have been retrieving javelins, hammer, discus and shot during the London 2012 Olympics.  The "mini MINIs", as they are being called, will also put in time at the Paralympic games.

From the BMW press release:

This specially developed and designed radio controlled electric car will be used on the field of play in the Olympic Stadium to ferry javelins, discuses, hammers and shots back from the field to the throwing area, saving valuable time during competition. 

Three Mini MINIs will be deployed for this crucial task and will be operated by Games Makers assigned and trained for this duty. The cars are roughly a quarter scale of the full-sized car and carry the athletic equipment situated inside, accessible through the adapted sunroof.




The battery powered cars can run for 35 minutes before needing to be recharged and they even have working headlights!

Here are a couple of videos showing the cars in action:





Source: BMW

MINI of Murray Grand Opening

MINI of Murray has motored down the street a bit into a new facility at 4767 South State Street in Murray, Utah. To celebrate the move, along with the 10 year anniversary of MINI in America, they will be holding a grand opening party Thursday, June 7th from 5 to 8 p.m. It sounds as though it will be quite the event with valet, red carpet paparazzi, wine and beer tasting, food and more food, and prizes galore (according to their Facebook page).


With the growth in popularity of the Mini Cooper brand the next step for this Salt Lake City car dealership was its own dedicated facility for sales, service and accessories. In this new facility they will be able to stretch out a bit with the full line of MINIs including the hardtop, coupe, convertible, roadster, Clubman, Countryman and the John Cooper Works.



The first U.S. Mini dealership opened in San Francisco in 2002 amid some critics who said the Mini brand didn't stand a chance in the States.  Ten years later the premium small car from BMW is still going strong.

Take a look at this video to see the progression of the new building construction over the last few months.  Congratulations to MINI of Murray on the brand new home of your own!

See the BMW i8 Spyder in Action [VIDEO]

The folks at BimmerPost have released video of the BMW i8 Spyder electric-gas hybrid and it sounds almost as beautiful as it looks.  The i8 Spyder is the latest in BMW's i series.




A 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine delivers up to 220-horsepower to the rear wheels, while the front axle is powered by a 129-horsepower electric motor. The Spyder will use an all-wheel drive, plug-in hybrid system allowing it front, rear and all wheel drive operation. And the i8 could be capable of nearly 80 mpg with and all-electric range of around 19 miles.




Check out the rest of the videos, including the interior and a night time drive, here.

Source:  Green Car Reports

Easter in November

We've had a lot of talk about Turkeys over on the ZoomAutosUtah.com web site recently, but this morning I found an Easter Egg.  Not the kind you hide in the grass, but those fun little surprises you find in computer programs or websites.  The new Android.com site has its little green robot in the lower left corner of the page waving, juggling and even doing the moonwalk! Try it out by moving your pointer over the little green guy. (Warning:  This appears to work best with Firefox and Chrome browsers.)

Here are some other favorites:

Visit the BMW Mini car site at www.miniusa.com and enter "reverse" into the search box on the main page. When you see a gear shifter appear in the bottom left corner of the page, hold down "Shift" on your keyboard and click the shifter.

Or, go to www.yahoo.com and click the exclamation point in Yahoo! at the top of the page.

If you've found an easter egg that you want to share with others, leave a comment below.