宝马将于明年晚些时候发布2018款i8改款车。新车性能将获得更大提升，功率将从现行版的357马力提升至313千瓦/420马力，功率的提升主要得益于该车搭载的1.5升三缸汽油引擎和电机性能获得提升。另外，与引擎搭配的六速自动变速器也采用了新的控制软件以进一步提升i8的性能。现行版百公里加速时间为4.4秒，最高时速250公里。2018款i8改款车预计还将配备更高能量密度电池组，这也有助于使新车的续航里程高于现行版的15英里（约合24公里）。上述硬件的升级将使新车续航里程高于现行版的330英里（约合531公里）。不仅如此，新车还可选装感应充电系统，底盘升级也排上日程，而碳纤维轮圈的应用将使轮圈重量比现行版采用的铝制轮圈降低25%。这些轻量化措施也有助于提升新车的燃油经济性，不过碳纤维轮圈将是非常昂贵的选装件。

 

2018 BMW i8 facelift to have 420 hp, more range

A new report originating from the U.K. indicates BMW is preparing a series of upgrades for the facelifted i8 due to come out by late 2017.

 

Apparently it’s due for a makeover in time for the 2018MY which will bring a bump in the combined output from the current 357 horsepower to somewhere in the region of 420 hp (313 kW). The extra punch will be achieved by performing some minor revisions to the turbocharged, 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine and also by upgrading the electric motor.

 

In addition, BMW’s engineers are also working on the six-speed automatic transmission which is said to receive new software mapping to further boost the i8’s performance. Speaking of which, the current version needs 4.4 seconds until 62 mph (100 kph) and tops out at an electronically-capped 155 mph (250 kph), so look for an improvement of these numbers.

 

As seen yesterday in the 2017 i3, the facelifted i8 is expected to make use of a higher-density battery pack which will also have an increased capacity. These changes will extend the electric range beyond the current EPA-certified 15 miles and also boost hybrid efficiency compared to the current i8 which returns 76 MPGe. Thanks to these hardware tweaks, the 2018 i8 will be able to provide a higher total range than the existing 330-mile rating.

 

The list of upgrades won’t stop there, as the report also points out the possibility of seeing an optional inductive charging system. Some chassis upgrades could be on the agenda as well, along with carbon fiber wheels which would reduce weight by a quarter compared to aluminum wheels. Needless to say, such a considerable weight reduction would improve the car’s efficiency even further, but the carbon fiber wheels will certainly turn out to be a very pricy option.

 

It is believed the i8 facelift coupe will be joined right away by the roadster version. The latter was confirmed for production in a business plan presented in March by BMW, so we definitely know it’s coming.