2015 BMW i8

The BMW i8 was first introduced to the public as the BMW Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics in 2009 at the International Motor Show in Germany as a turbo-diesel plug-in hybrid. The radical futuristic styling was penned by Mario Majdandzic and was heavily used in promotional sports by the automaker.

The car was then shown again in a revised form as the i8 Concept in 2011. This time, the engine was changed to a 3-cylinder turbocharged gasoline configuration. The original lines of the vehicle were largely intact and media exposure continued by its appearance in the movie Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

Public excitement was high when it was announced that the i8 would go into production for the 2015 model year. For the production version, the design was updated by Benoit Jacob and revealed at the 2013 International Motor Show in Germany. In production form, the turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine produces 220 horsepower powering the rear axle and is combined with a 129 horsepower electric motor in the front giving an all-wheel drive configuration.