BMW launches 'i' sub-brand

BMW has confirmed a new sub-brand called i, through which it intends to market a range of advanced standalone hybrid, range-extender and plug-in electric models.

Among the first cars to carry the new badge will be the i3 and i8, both of which are planned for introduction in 2013. “These cars have been designed specifically for their respective alternative drive systems. We’re using an innovative architecture to cancel out practically all the extra weight of the batteries,” revealed Klaus Draeger, head of BMW’s R&D operations.

The new architecture, which goes under the name LifeDrive, uses an aluminium chassis to house the driveline, with the passenger cell constructed from carbonfibre-reinforced plastic developed in partnership with US-based SG Carbon.

The two-plus-two i3, previously known under its internal working title MegaCity Vehicle, is BMW’s first production model to be conceived specifically for urban driving environment. It boasts an upright one-box silhouette revealed in an official sketch generated by BMW late last year.

The first i3 will be powered by an all-electric driveline similar to that found in the 1-series ActiveE, which uses a 170bhp electric motor in combination with a lithium ion battery pack for a claimed range of 100 miles. Other versions of the i3, including a range extender, are also under development.

The i8, previewed the Efficient Dynamics concept car first shown in 2009, will use a hybrid driveline likely to combine BMW’s upcoming 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with the same electric motor used by the i3.

The i3 and i8 will be produced on a dedicated line at BMW’s Leipzig factory, which is being lined up for €400m (£336m) of fresh investment.

Alfa Romeo has introduced a new diesel engine for its Giulietta range

The new second-gen MultiJet diesel engine, dubbed 2.0 JTDM-2, produces 138bhp and up to 258lb ft of torque in ‘dynamic’ mode, as opposed to 236lb ft in ‘normal.’

The company claims CO2 emissions of 119 g/km and a fuel economy figure of 62.8mpg, and says it will allow the Giulietta to hit a top speed of 127mph, with a 0-60mph sprint time of nine seconds. This, the company claims, is ‘the engine is designed for customers who appreciate excellent throttle response but are also concerned with fuel consumption and running costs.’

Compliant with Euro 5 regulations, the new unit features start-stop as standard and, according to Alfa Romeo, only needs servicing every 21,000 miles.

Prices for the new 138bhp diesel Giulietta start from £20,750 for the entry-level Lusso variant.

Lotus Evora 2013

Lotus is working at top speed on this revised Evora, designed to stimulate sluggish sales and bridge the styling gap between the current car and the new wave of Lotus models due to hit the market from 2013.

The most striking feature of the revised Evora — shown here in this grainy leaked image and believed to be heading for launch late this year as a 2012 model — is its much more aggressive radiator ‘mouth’. It is very reminiscent of the treatment already designed for later models by Lotus’s ex-Ferrari design boss, Donato Coco.

Coco believes the present Evora’s traditional Lotus mouth is “too weak” for a modern performance car. “Even many economy cars look more aggressive,” he says. The new treatment has a long heritage, too, he says, appearing first on the Lotus 18 single-seater at the beginning of the 1960s.

The 2012 Evora is believed also to have a revised interior with a higher level of standard equipment and a greater accent on quality, points of criticism with road testers and owners.

The Evora, which starts at £51,030 for the 276bhp two-seat version, suffered very sluggish sales to start with, but things have improved a little with the launch late last year of the £60,000, 345bhp Evora S, which uses a supercharged version of the standard car’s 276bhp Toyota-derived V6.

Lotus bosses are understood to be on the point of deciding whether they can afford to build a range of own-design V6 and V8 modular engines for future products, following uncertain reactions to the proposed use of Toyota engines in upmarket Lotus models.

“We have designed engines for clients,” said Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, “so why not for ourselves?” He admits, however, that the final decision will be all a matter of money.