BMW Talks About its new Range of M Performance Cars

After a shopping spree in the 1990s, which saw the BMW Group acquire the California based industrial design studio DesignworksUSA, the British Rover Group and the rights to the Rolls Royce nameplate, the Bavarian company cooled down and focused on building up the range of its three core brands: BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce while selling off MG Rover.

Today, the BMW brand already comprises of two unique sub-brands developed under the M and the "i" monikers for its high-performance and for its electric cars, plug-in hybrids and other alternative-power vehicles respectively.

But the Bavarians aren't done yet as following the example of Audi and it's S range that slots between the regular and RS models, they are readying a third sub brand called M Performance that will be positioned under the automaker's M models.

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Spied: Is BMW Working on a 7-Series-Based "i" Sedan?

It's no secret that BMW intends to market a whole line of advanced dedicated hybrid, range-extended and plug-in electric models under its new "i" sub-brand.

The question is, what's up next after the presentation of the i3 hatchback in 2013 and the i8 sports coupe in 2014? While BMW is keeping mum about its future plans, our spy photographers captured a strange looking 7-Series prototype, seemingly based on the standard ActiveHybrid 7.

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BMW Shows Off i3 EV and i8 Hybrid Concepts on Film

The headline story on the automotive front today (that would be Friday, July 29) is no doubt the presentation of the first concept models of BMW's new division for alternative fuel vehicles that we will come to know as the "i" series.

We've already given you a first look at the i3 pure-electric hatchback as well as the sporty i8 gasoline-electric hybrid coupe concepts, but BMW has also released a series of films on both vehicles.

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BMW i8 Concept: Plug-in Hybrid Coupe with 1.5-liter Petrol Engine Delivers 349HP and 87MPG [63 Photos]

BMW's showdown continues with the presentation of its i8 Concept, a plug-in hybrid sports coupe that joins the i3 pure-electric hatchback to form the first models of the Bavarian firm's i sub-brand.

The i8 Concept is a further development of the 2009 Vision EfficientDynamics study and it opens the way for a production model, which is scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2013.

The sportiest member of the i series models combines the modified electric drive system from the i3 Concept, but this time fitted over its front axle instead of the rear, with a high-performance, 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine (in place of the Vision ED's diesel unit) developing 220HP (164kW) and 300 Nm (221 lb.ft) at the rear.

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BMW i3 Concept: Pure Electric Hatchback with Optional Range Extender to go on Sale in 2013 [79 Photos]

The car we originally came to know as the Megacity Vehicle was officially revealed today as the BMW i3 Concept ahead of its 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show debut and less than two years before it goes on sale in 2013.

The new i3 along with the i8 sports coupe concept (we'll have more on that in a bit) that was also shown today, are the first vehicles of BMW's new i sub-brand with which the Bavarian company plans to sell a range of environmental-friendly hybrids, pure-electric and range-extended cars.

The upcoming i3 will be BMW's first ever mass produced all-electric model. The five-door hatchback rides on a new dedicated architecture named "LifeDrive".

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BMW to Preview New "i" Models on Friday?

“Green” is the new “mean”. Whereas a few years ago most automakers focused on tooting their performance credentials, now the trend is to be eco-friendly. Even BMW, the maker of the M3, M5 etc., is jumping on the "green" bandwagon. Albeit a little late to the EV party, the Germans plan to make up for it with a dazzling entrance.

Today, the Munich-based automaker announced that it is holding a press conference on Friday, July 29, to preview its “i” sub-brand. Unfortunately, that's about all BMW is willing to reveal about the conference, so we don’t exactly know what the company has in store for us: a startling presentation of the new models or one mundane speech after another from the firm's executives?

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BMW i8 Hybrid Sports Coupe Spied Testing on the Snow [with Videos]

With BMW having already announced to the world the creation of its new ‘i’ sub-brand, through which the Bavarians intend to market a line of stand-alone hybrid, range-extended and full-electric plug-in vehicles, the company is now concentrating on the development of the first cars to wear the i logo.

In this series of spy videos, we see the test driver sub-brand’s halo car, the i8 hybrid sports coupe, which is based on the 2009’s Vision Efficient Dynamics concept model, undergoing cold weather tests in Northern Europe.

Up until now, it was believed that the i8 would keep the concept model’s mechanical hardware with a 163HP 1.5-liter three-cylinder diesel engine located behind the back seats, and two electric motors, one positioned between the diesel engine and the six-speed double clutch transmission, and the other in the front of the vehicle.

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BMW Confirms New "i" Sub-Brand, will Launch with i3 EV City Car and i8 Plug-in Hybrid Sports Coupe in 2013

It's been a long time in the making, but the BMW Group today confirmed its new sub-brand called "i", with which it will market a new lineup of eco-friendly vehicles including regular and plug-in hybrids, and pure electric models as well as an additional range of mobility services.

The first models to be launched under the new sub-brand from 2013 are the BMW i3 and i8. The BMW i3 is an all-electric city car, which was previously known as the Megacity Vehicle, while the i8, is a plug-in hybrid sports car based on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept study unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

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