BMW mulled ten, eight, and six-cylinder engines for i8 before going hybrid
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/" rel="tag">Coupe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hybrids/" rel="tag">Hybrid</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/" rel="tag">BMW</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/electric/" rel="tag">Electric</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/luxury/" rel="tag">Luxury</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2015-bmw-i8-frankfurt-2013/#photo-995891"><img alt="2015 BMW i8 live on show floor - front three-quarter view" data-mep="13877" src="http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/adam/2702aa357cd9d20140c66c785 4735289/2015-bmw-i8-show-reveal-628.jpg" /></a><br />
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There's little doubt that the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/i8/">2015 BMW i8</a> is one of the most radical and groundbreaking performance cars this industry has seen in a long time. From its unique carbon-intensive construction to its 1.5-liter, three-cylinder and electric motor plug-in powertrain to its concept-car appearance, the flagbearer for BMW's new i venture challenges the very notion of what it takes to be a supercar.<br />
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Yet apparently the i8 almost didn't do that at all. Yes, it probably still would've had innovative assembly techniques, serious performance and come-hither bodywork, but according to a <a href="http://www.telegraaf.nl/autovisie/autovisie_nieuws/bmw/21955766/__Grotere_motoren_voor_BM W_i8_overwogen_en_getest_ _.html">new report in the <em>Telegraaf</em></a>, it was very nearly a much more conventional beast, drawing its power from a V10 engine. According to the report, that line of development never got much beyond the drawing board, but <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/bmw/">BMW</a> engineers then shifted their focus to both V8 and six-cylinder motivation, going so far as to build prototype cars. The higher cylinder-count engines were eventually dropped altogether after BMW decided to turn the i8 into a hybrid, with the six-cylinder reportedly nixed due to heat management and weight issues. In the end, of course, BMW went with the PHEV powertrain that offers a total system output of 362 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque - plenty of thrust for this lightweight, all-wheel drive coupe while still enabling an incredible <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/10/2015-bmw-i8-frankfurt-2013/">94 miles to the gallon on the EU cycle</a>. Regardless of how it turned out, it's still fascinating to think that BMW didn't have a much firmer conceptual idea of what it was after when it started the i8's development.<br />
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Here at <em>Autoblog</em>, we're genuinely thrilled about this new generation of greener hybrid super- and hypercars, a movement spearheaded by the i8, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/porsche/918+spyder/">Porsche 918 Spyder</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/ferrari/laferrari/">Ferrari LaFerrari</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/mclaren+p1/">McLaren P1</a>. But even so, our inner-gearheads can't help but wonder what might have been had BMW pursued a more conventional i8, either in place of, or in addition to, the car they did build. What do you think? Have your say in Comments.<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/09/bmw-i8-almost-got-v10-engine/">BMW mulled ten, eight, and six-cylinder engines for i8 before going hybrid</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Wed, 09 Oct 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our <a href="/rss-term-of-use/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/09/bmw-i8-almost-got-v10-engine/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20741263/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/09/bmw-i8-almost-got-v10-engine/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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