A little over a year after the presentation of the Vision EfficientDynamics [ED] concept study at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, and following a month-long tease of what turned out to be an early prototype mule with the body of a 6-Series of the plug-in hybrid on the "Dontblogaboutthis" website (see pictures below), BMW today officially confirmed plans to build a production version of the eco-friendly sports car.
"There was a widespread desire to put the car on the road, and the realisation of this desire is moving considerably closer," the Bavarian firm said in a statement. And by this, BMW means it will have the Vision ED on the road and ready for sale in 2013.
"By developing a sports car based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept study for serial production, the Munich-based premium automobile manufacturer underscores its position as a global leader in the production of sporty vehicles with exemplary efficiency," said BMW.
Set to stand out as a technological tour de force, the production model will keep the 2+2 seater concept"s innovative plug-in hybrid system. We"ll remind you that the Frankfurt show car combined a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo diesel producing 163HP and 214 lb-ft of torque located behind the back seats, with two electric motors.
The first is positioned between the diesel engine and the six-speed double clutch transmission delivering a continuous output of 33HP and 214 lb-ft, and up to 51HP momentarily. The second electric motor is located in the front of the vehicle and churns out a continuous output of 80HP and peak torque of 162 lb-ft. It can produce 112HP for up to 30 seconds, and, for a 10-second "burst," 139HP.
According to BMW, the system"s overall output is rated at 328-horsepower (241 kW). This allows performance figures at the level of a sports car -think M3- with 4.8 seconds for the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint, while returning city-car efficiency with an average fuel consumption of 3.76 litters/100 kilometers, equal to 62.6 mpg US / 75.1 mpg UK, and a CO2 emission rating of just 99 grams per kilometer.
The Vision ED is fitted with a lithium-polymer battery housed centrally in a longitudinal chassis element that can be fully charged at a conventional power socket within two and half hours. BMW says the use of electrical energy alone permits zero-emissions motoring with a range of some 50 kilometres or 31 miles, while a 24-litre diesel tank extends the total driving range up to 700 kilometres or 435 miles.
BMW didn"t give a price for the production model but it is expected to be the most expensive car in the firm"s range.
_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________
