Is the Bavarian maker of “Ultimate Driving Machines” going to become the maker of the ultimate Volt-inspired expressions of advanced mobility?
Last week BMW caught observers by surprise by announcing it would make available an optional range-extending engine to its pending, carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic bodied, i3 electric city car.
This news comes just around three months after Volt lead engineer Frank Weber was hired away by BMW, and talk then was they were thinking of creating more range-extended vehicles.
BMW’s i8 and i3 look as futuristic on the outside as they are under the skin. (Click on this and following photos for high-resolution.)
We do not know what degree of influence he has had, but he is definitely an inspired, forward thinking, and competent engineer whose talents transcended into words laced with philosophical overtones when he spoke of mobility solutions.
His sensibility is at least echoed to a degree by BMW’s newspeak describing concepts in its latest video and press kit.
The more sensible car is taking the road to the right; the more viscerally provocative model is ready to tear up the left.
At the time of his hiring, BMW already had in the works the swoopy, petrol-plus-electric i8. Both it and the i3 are due for production in 2013, but details are vague. The i3 will reportedly be sold in Germany first, with unknown launch date for either car in the U.S.
i3
How many ways can automakers attempt to stamp their individuality into a synonym for range-extended electric vehicle? We don’t know, but BMW has coined one more term by calling its extended-range, four-passenger i3 the REx.
This car will be also available as an all electric, and looks like it will be the first to make range extension via petrol an option. Unknown is what engine will be utilized, but it is reportedly to be a two-cylinder, and it will not be connected to the drive wheels a la Chevy Volt.
The i3 has been around for about a couple years as a concept, and was originally called the MegaCity. It was conceived as an all-carbon fiber bodied electric vehicle, and is actually a third-generation EV design.
Carbon fiber i3 city car.
It builds on BMW’s work with the limited-production, lease-only Mini Cooper EV, and the also limited-availability and lease-only electric 1-Series Active-E, due this fall.
The expected range for the approximately 22-kWh, lithium-ion-powered, all-electric version of the i3 will be 80-100 miles, and top speed will be limited to 93 mph.
It will be rear wheel drive, with a 170-horsepower motor mounted to the rear axle as is the case with the Active-E 1 Series.
Just like dad’s station wagon, right? Space to stuff groceries; transparent doors and transparent room to see out from …
Its dimensions are about 151 inches long, 79 inches wide. Wheel base will be around 101 inches, so it will be kind of like the Nissan LEAF, albeit much lighter and upscale.
The carbon-fiber-bodied creation is expected to weigh around 600 pounds less than a LEAF at around 2,756 pounds.
Passable, but rear leg room won’t confuse anyone that they are in a 7-Series.
No word on pricing yet, but it is being speculated that the super-light, strong, rigid and difficult-to-form body, plus high-tech gadgetry throughout could see it topping $50,000, but again, that is only a guess.
i8
The i8 will also be constructed of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. It will be an all-wheel-drive, plug-in hybrid sports car which BMW says is capable of dashing from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, and reaching 155 mph.
How does it do this, yet remain at least somewhat environmentally responsible? By mating a 129-horsepower electric motor to the front drive wheels, and a 220-horsepower 1.5-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine to turn the rear wheels.
Unmistakable BMW design, but the transparent panels are avante-garde indeed.
The environmentally sensible part will largely be realized when nursing it around town within the confines of its 22 miles of all-electric range from its approximately 8-kWh lithium-ion battery.
BMW said it will achieve over 100 mpg on the European drive cycle.
Of course if the i8 driver wants to push the exotic hybrid, gasoline power is always available to propel the 3,300-pound car with all of its 349 gas-plus-electric horsepower.
Cockpit as viewed from the perspective of a back-seat driver …
It will have three driver-selectable modes in all, the third being simply gasoline power, with ability to switch between modes assuming the battery half the size of the Volt’s is still charged.
While making less power than a full-on supercar, its dimensions are suggestive of high-line exotics. According to BMW, it is 182 inches long, 77 inches wide, and 50 inches tall.
BMW did not announce a price projection for the i8 either.
The transparent roof is to see out of, and let light in, but it does not have photovoltaic cells like Fisker’s Karma does under its glass roof top.
It did however say that a mid-range i5 will be made available in 2016, three years after the i8 and i3 are released. The i5 is expected to use the same powertrain as the i8.
More information on both the i3 and i8 is available at their Web sites linked above, although some details will not be announced until closer to their launch.
Consumer Reports, Extreme Tech, Edmunds Auto Observer
This entry was posted on Thursday, August 4th, 2011 at 5:55 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Aug 4th, 2011 (6:36 am)Wonderfully different and exciting. Let’s hope that the concept look stays put in production.
2 cylinder is a concern, if only for the marketing of the vehicles.
The details shown on the top of the edmunds web page are very clear. Shadows and reflections on other web pages make the BMW concepts extremely attractive.
+4
Aug 4th, 2011 (8:00 am)I was mildly excited by the Tesla Roadster and the Fisker Karma, but the BMW i8 definitely has my heart pounding. I hope GM comes out with something as good or better!! Maybe the electric Stingray (as suggested by CorvetteGuy?).
+3
Aug 4th, 2011 (8:01 am)These are show cars, not production. Don’t expect all that glass to remain, and probably not the suicide rear doors.
They do look cool, and the big issue is the carbon fiber construction. Can they really do it cheaply? When prices come out we will have a better idea.
+4
Aug 4th, 2011 (8:44 am)I agree, Roy! And I was surprised to read a few months ago that a US company in the NW would be BMW’s CFRP supplier. Could it be a company that’s supplied CFRP to Boeing for the Dreamliner and/
or perhaps others for the latest stealth aircraft in large enough quantities to get the cost down?
+7
Aug 4th, 2011 (9:54 am)Maybe I’m getting too old, but all this looks like fantasyland, so what else is new. I guess I’m tired of dreamy ideas that never see the light of day at worst; or at best, that get so watered down so that if and when they hit the streets, the resemblance to the original concept is virtually gone. But maybe I’d be OK with watering these two ideas down, at least the flowy-flowy styling which I find to be way too busy.
Anyhow, the seats look less comfortable than a park bench and why would I want a car in which I’d be embarrassed to be seen driving around in my underwear?
Aug 4th, 2011 (10:20 am)Interesting, but not attainable by us mere mortals.
$50k is about $40k under what it will really be imho. If they even make it off the dreaming board (not on the drawing board yet).
+2
Aug 4th, 2011 (10:33 am)Beautiful, sexy car, but how much will this thing cost? The Volt is already the most expensive car I’ve ever purchased so as far as I’m concerned, if this thing ever gets in to production, it may as well be a Ferrari or Lamborghini, since I know I’ll never get one.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (10:39 am)That last frame (the overhead view) looks like a transformer is in the rear hatch. Wonder if it’s an Autobot?
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (10:45 am)Hats off to BMW for moving forward. Looks like some other company doesn’t think pure BEVs are ready for prime time! (Of course our friend John will complain they’re not making 50K of them the first year — Ha ha!). It really helps people who don’t understand EVs at all, but who understand that a company like BMW makes high performance vehicles, to understand that EVs are not glorified golf carts.
Not of these cars is as practical as the Volt — and don’t expect the transparent side panels to see production — but these look good and should perform well. The i8 in particular will be a problem for the Tesla since both the Model S and the i8 will play in the rarefied space of $100,000 cars. At some point if you shell out that much money for a car it would be nice if you could take it on a long weekend trip.
Here is an article from the NY Times about the two cars with some different details. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/automobiles/will-plug-in-bmws-turn-enthusiasts-on.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=automobiles
However, by the time the rubber on these cars are hitting the pavement we should be seeing Gen II from GM and Nissan. I have high hopes, especially for the offerings from GM. Should be fun to watch!
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (10:53 am)My thoughts on these 2 cars are….Wow! Very cool! Especially the i8. The main stumbling block I can see is if people already think the Volt is expensive, the prices of these 2 cars will probably make their eyes water. You can bet they will be considerably more than a Volt. But with that said, I’m still glad to see BMW is taking the same approach as GM by providing EREV’s (even if by a different name).
Now that Frank is on board with BMW, I think he needs to produce the TRUE Ultimate Driving Machine….
3 Series EREV!!!
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (10:55 am)Someone on ABG was saying that the carbon composite was very energy intensive so BMW was setting up a factory somewhere (in the US??) to make the CC bodies where electricity was cheap. As you all know Germany is phasing out Nuclear in favor of renewables.
The i3 design puts an interesting twist on the Volt EREV design and went pure series and only 600cc 2 cyl. but w/ a longer EV range. This set up would work pretty well for people w/ a driving cycle of say 70 miles because they would not be on the RE very much.
If you go to the Volt stats site here:
http://www.voltstats.net/
you can see that of the 61 volts in the list the fleet average on %EV is 69%. This says that nearly all the drivers are driving less than 58 miles or so (which for a 90 mile range EV would be just about right. So ,if every driver in the stats sgroup was driving the i3, the % electric stat would be pretty close to 100% and the MPGe would be closer to the pure EV MPGe (around 95 vs 63 for the Volt stat group). It also means that the RE would be used close to 0% of the time.
This i3 EREV design does have draw backs though. You would not want to go coast to coast in it. In RE mode you would be severely power limited. It would not be seamless transition from EV mode to CS mode like the Volt.
I’ll take a Volt thanks especially for the money.
Aug 4th, 2011 (10:56 am)We can only hope it’s an Autobot. If not, humanity could be doomed.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (11:14 am)I wonder if those blue accents glow at night like a TRON cycle?
+2
Aug 4th, 2011 (11:17 am)I think both cars are great as is the rarefied pricing.
News reports will inevitably refer to the Volt in discussing these. The Volt may not be as see-through sexy looking, but the more EVERs announced and produced by Fiskar, BMW, and others the more the Volt is validated and its price seen as more reasonable.
Aug 4th, 2011 (11:32 am)Yes, if you are excited by the concept but not the price, you will soon be looking very closely at a Volt.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (11:36 am)and fair or not, people in general would be more willing to shell out a higher price for a BMW than for a Chevy.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (11:47 am)BMW? Meh………….
Aug 4th, 2011 (11:54 am)Go Frank go!!
After the EV drive train & technology hurdles lies weight reduction, and it ain’t gonna be cheap. I still think that more cost-conscious manufacturers (GM) will be able to utilize carbon-fiber and other exotic materials piecemeal; say, in only the doors, which will reap real benefits.
The two-cylinder not-connected-to-the-wheels range-extender implies a great improvement for pure serial mode vs the “weak serial mode” of the Volt … if overall battery life is as much of a concern. With a range of 80 – 100 miles electric, the i3′s optional RE may be much more of an emergency device than a complement to electric operation; justifying extra strain on it’s pack (The limiting factor in serial mode isn’t the engine, it’s the batteries. The Volt has to pamper it’s batteries by limiting the degree to which engine output is ‘buffered’ to the wheels. With little or no aging consequences for more advanced batteries, a true serial mode with a small engine would be more efficient than the Volt’s. However, they may be thinking that reduced use of the RE, with greater AER, are tolerable for the life of a conventional-battery pack; especially if it is larger. The greater the capacity, the less buffering engine output should hurt it, theoretically).
In my opinion, electric drive is best used powering the front wheels, if only because most braking is done there; boosting potential re-gen (it’s instructive to recall that the rear-drive iMiev has no regeneration). In this sense, the i8 has the edge over the i3, even though it is inherently less practical overall.
Aug 4th, 2011 (12:32 pm)Well, we’ll see how the rapidly slowing global economy and declining oil price ($88 or so as I write this) affect E vehicle plans.
Aug 4th, 2011 (12:43 pm)Cost
How will these do in a crash test?
How much will the design change from prototype to production (if they ever see production)?
I’ll believe it (and have a better opinion on it) when I see it. GM is making cars now at a rate of 2000/month. By the time the other guys get their Gen 1 out, GM will be building Gen 3 and designing Gen 4 & 5.
But, the more the merrier.
-1
Aug 4th, 2011 (1:01 pm)60,000 per year has been the standard Prius has been held to for mainstream status over the past decade. Volt enthusiasts stated over and over again that same sales quantity would be achieved in the second year. They have also repeatedly mocked Toyota for only planning to deliver 16,000 of the plug-in Prius the first year here, disregarding overall production. In other words, the precedent has been well established to measure market success for each market individually.
So based on that criteria provided by Volt enthusiasts, the 45,000 available next year will not meet that sales objective. For Volt to be the “game changer” it was hyped to be, sales must grow to a self-sustaining level prior to the tax-credit expiring. Otherwise, sales will plummet as soon as that taxpayer funding ends.
Put it this way. All along the need has been to deliver a plug-in vehicle configured for middle-market, achieving high-volume sales quickly to allow the discontinuation of traditional vehicle production. How long are we going to have to wait for that to happen?
Aug 4th, 2011 (1:19 pm)#11
Yup. +1
+2
Aug 4th, 2011 (1:19 pm)Apparently a while longer if Toyota only builds 16k PiP/year.
Since all these vehicles fall squarely in the alternate/hybrid arena, I seriously doubt that they will exceed the current market penetration of less than 2% any time soon. With a looming second recession (and related fall in gasoline prices) some will not even survive. Exotics like these BMWs will be the first to hit the cutting-room floor.
-3
Aug 4th, 2011 (1:38 pm)Did you even read the post?
16k is just for this market here.
They are likely to deliver twice as many for their domestic market, since Prius is the top-selling vehicle currently there.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (2:16 pm)Do you even hear what you are saying?
1. GM doesn’t make enough Volts to be a viable car line.
2. Toyota makes 16kPiPs vs Volts 45k cars and yet *is* viable.
Neither of them make enough to displace significant global gasoline use which is what you want, no? They are both a very small piece of a very huge pie, so, how is an argument either way of any use?
I would think that *any* builds of these cars would be a step in the direction of your agenda. Why the complaint of ‘too little too late’ all the time?
Aug 4th, 2011 (2:27 pm)john1701a,
Perhaps you should open comments at john1701a.com so that we can write more about the Volt there than you write about the Prius.
Oh, wait. You’re already doing that yourself (check the logs, all).
Aug 4th, 2011 (3:02 pm)Despite over a million Priuses sold, despite the USA being its largest market, Toyota has never built one single Prius in America. Big trucks, but no Prius.
The Prius had its time, now it is past. I have absolutely no sympathy for it having been knocked off its pedestal by the Volt.
-3
Aug 4th, 2011 (3:34 pm)No one has made any claim of viability. For that matter, nothing has been said about year 2 either. That’s a stark difference, from Volt.
Really? Prius will offer 2 cordless models, in addition to the plug-in. The need is an affordable choice with Volt… the opposite direction BMW is taking.
Remember how much interest there is for Cruze and eAssist.
Aug 4th, 2011 (3:34 pm)#25
Same answer as always. PDNFTT. It only eggs them on.
+1 for trying, but you are wasting your energy.
Aug 4th, 2011 (3:37 pm)#26
See #29
Aug 4th, 2011 (3:56 pm)I’m guessing they may cost a tad more to insure than a Volt.
Aug 4th, 2011 (3:57 pm)I like the lighter carbon-fiber composite and the fact that BMW is using hydro-power and U.S. labor in the process. I also like the smaller range extender in the I3 version and that this vehicle will be very balanced. I doubt this vehicle will be in our budget however. I’ve gotta wonder if GM is considering using the Spark 1L engine for the Gen. II Volt; since they are talking about selling a version in the U.S. possibly in the next year or 2.
-3
Aug 4th, 2011 (4:10 pm)That’s the heart of what I’ve been asking about. BMW isn’t a high-volume producer/seller here anyway. Chevy on the other hand is. Knocking Prius means outselling it. How many are you talking and when?
Aug 4th, 2011 (4:10 pm)“The i3 has been around for about a couple years as a concept, and was originally called the MegaCity. It was conceived as an all-carbon fiber bodied electric vehicle, and is actually a third-generation EV design.”
I apologize if the following is hard to read and doesn’t flow, but I’m just too lazy today to be an unpaid version of the smooth writing of Jeff Cobb. Just a comment on chassis design, ignore it if not interested
If the i3 morphs from a city electric to a REx then it will need a tunnel in the center of the chassis, lose the flat bottom that is ideal for EV’s and likely be hard pressed to find enough space to provide enough batteries for an all electric version.
It would seem to be more expensive to produce and it’s all electric option would be a far less capable more compromised vehicle. Conversely use of carbon fiber and a small light ICE would be ideal for the REx version. It would allow exploiting a smaller lighter chassis and suspension, and could use a smaller lighter battery pack to reach it’s performance goals.
Seems that proper EV’s and ICE’s whether hybrid, EREV, REx or eAssist, should ideally be on a separate chassis.
Aug 4th, 2011 (4:19 pm)I hope the Volt evolves slowly. GM would be better off making its 2 cylinder, carbon fiber EREV a Cadillac.
Aug 4th, 2011 (4:26 pm)#32
Don’t I wish. They way things have gone up to now, they’ll probably put the 1.4 in the US Spark, LOL.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (4:32 pm)#31
Properly designed carbon fiber chassis have awesome crash protection values. Have you ever seen a modern Indy car hit the wall? 190 mph in a 1500# car and the driver walks away? Not too shabby.
They probably will be expensive to fix though, just as aluminum cars are. We work on fiberglass all the time, so it’s no big mystery to us. Maybe good for us, as a lot of the skill set transfers over.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (4:52 pm)Let’s review: ( not in order of importance )
List for gen II Volt ( perhaps higher-end features on EREV Buick Electra version ):
1) Auto lowering suspension ( over 40 mph )
2) Composite seat components
3) Polycarbonate sunroof with solar panel option
4) Built-in inductive charge reciever underneath
5) Increased rake ( 1% ) of windshield and 5% of grille
6) Rear windshield wiper/washer
7) Higher location for rear camera
8 ) MyLink version 2 – simplified interface – improved intuitiveness – even better voice recognition
9) FLPA ( Free Piston Linear Alternator ) using HCCI – range extending generator
10) Or: three cylinder, low temperature combustion – balance-shaft ( turbo? ) 3 cyl range extender gen
11) Improved energy density battery pack. Either same kwh yet lighter or same weight = higher range.
12) Possible tiered range model line ie: Tesla Model S
13) Direction-specific alloy wheels ( today’s are aero on one side – reversed on other )
14) EV charge station locator on nav system – smartphone app
15) Powermat mobile device charger built-in.
16) Carbon fiber look console / door panel finish
17) Flexfuel capable
18) Regular Gas capable – perhaps an octane booster injector in tank if gas over 3 months old.
19 ) Nav Traffic service free or baked in – not an add-on monthly subscription
RECHARGE!
James
Aug 4th, 2011 (5:10 pm)Interesting thoughts Jeff.
If the electric motor/ICE/generator are all in one package in the back, why can’t the batteries still be in flat bottom of the car??
Aug 4th, 2011 (5:16 pm)James,
Quite a well thought out list James!!
Aug 4th, 2011 (5:17 pm)Those cars will no more look like these pictures than the Volt does from the 2007 prototype…..
JMHO
Aug 4th, 2011 (5:18 pm)Yes thanks for jogging my memory it was in the NW with clean Hydro.
win win situation
Aug 4th, 2011 (5:30 pm)On Topic: I think the loss of Frank Weber was awful. GM sent him to Opel for 3 months to do …well, nothing… Then let him go as a free agent and BMW snagged him up. Kudos for Frank as he probably got a nice pay raise and can reside in his native land – but A HUGE LOSS for GM. Instead of just adding to GM’s lead in the EREV/PHEV field, he’s now helping others to catch up.
You KNEW an iCar would pop up somewhere, other than the iMiev, which does not compute in English! These iWish BMWs may never materialize – I agree with the others here if they do they won’t appear anything near these Tron machines in their promos. I laughed out loud when Car & Drivel magazine drove VW’s millions dollar 2 seat XL1 carbon fiber 260mpg PHEV 2 cyl aluminum TDI future car exercise – and boldy claimed, “…It’s nearly as complete as the Chevy Volt”! Ha ha – and I guess teleportation and mind-reading technology are as far along as the International Space Station too!
These BMWs are dreams until one surfaces that has at least some semblence of a real car. Frank’s got his work cut out for him since BMW will run up against the very same battery cost challenges he did with Volt mixed with BMW’s smaller market demographic and expectation that a Beemer must be an “Ultimate Driving Machine” so no 100 mile EV or 50 mile EREV that matches a Fisker will do. Add carbon fiber to the mix and try to match the Karma in MSRP and…well… These cars may well end up on the cutting room floor. Lotus has shown a marvelous EREV concept version of it’s Evora – not likely that will show any time soon either.
I think the genius of Volt will become more and more evident over time. Too bad BMW got one of the geniuses who made it all possible.
PUMP OUT THE VOLTECS! ,
James
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (6:26 pm)As with all BMW vehicles… not on my radar…
for less you can buy much better… as in Caddy or Lincoln.
How much will the Volt cost in Germany?
I do like the CUV idea…
For the Volt I’m hoping GM builds one with removable seats to save weight and add cargo room keeping the floor low.
Hope to hear about CUV plans soon.
Aug 4th, 2011 (8:38 pm)pj,
totally agrree and understand.I thought that for years ’till I started experiencing them.
I heart my k1200s!!
0-60 in 2.9 seconds (1 sec faster than the Tesla Roadster)
Top speed…..Don’t know the spec, but, I quit at 140 mph and I think I was at 10,500 in fourth gear w/ 2 gears to go!!
Bot used from original owner 10,500$.
The Germans still are near the top of the heap (well maybe sharing it) when it comes to top notch engineering , design, materials…..but it just costs a little more!!
Aug 4th, 2011 (8:46 pm)I’m glad somebody is pushing performance of electrics.
Aug 4th, 2011 (8:51 pm)I think the Volt was a game changer before the first one was sold. Look how many copy-cats we have already. The game has changed.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (9:00 pm)I like most things on your list, but I’ve never owned a car w/a rear winshield wiper. Are they really that useful? I also do not plan to buy the rear camera. It seems like something I wouldn’t use very much.
Wish list items I’ll add are:
EV only button
A real sport mode (not just remapping the gas pedal)
A 2-door version
Heated side mirrors (or is this already an option)
Increase the onboard charger to 6.6kw
I had more but can’t think of them now
Aug 4th, 2011 (9:23 pm)kdawg quote:
“Increase the onboard charger to 6.6kw:
Totally agree and a fast charger port would increase AE miles big time also w/o a lot of expense.
It would be a good: (Delta MPGe/ unit dollar) investment!!
I would put the fast charger port on the top if I was GM!!
Aug 4th, 2011 (9:30 pm)George S. Bower,
BMW knows how to engineer that is for sure. First time out of the gate they set the benchmark for 1000cc superbikes, besting the Japanese who’d had years to evolve their designs. The S1000RR is a real hoot if you every get a chance to ride one. It delivers 175 hp to the rear wheel.
I’m pretty sure the wheelie control was engaged at around 125 mph-plus when I exited the last turn onto the straight at Willow Springs in Rosamond, Calif., but the front was practically floating off the ground there, and definitely lofting at other spots around the track …
http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/2010-literbike-shootout-rsv4-r-vs-s1000rr-vs-cbr1000rr-vs-zx10r-89393.html
Aug 4th, 2011 (9:33 pm)jeffhre,
RE: ” … the smooth writing of Jeff Cobb … ”
Thanks! …
Aug 4th, 2011 (9:54 pm)Jeff Cobb,
Going to Torrey UT and Jacobs Lake this weekend.
Should be a good trip!!
Aug 4th, 2011 (10:34 pm)George S. Bower,
Awesome. I did a car tour in 2002 through Utah, but did not go by bike even when I was living in California. Would have liked to.
Hope you wear all the gear. Utah has some long lonely sections far from anything. Stay safe.
+1
Aug 4th, 2011 (11:05 pm)“All the gear all the time”
Aug 4th, 2011 (11:11 pm)George S. Bower,
Smart. I’m pretty much ATTGATT also.
Aug 5th, 2011 (3:31 am)That’s a great idea. Even better than my idea of replacing the stock seats with seats of carbon fiber frames.
Aug 5th, 2011 (10:45 am)I had one AMA MSF instructor look over my gear relative to my dirt bike and say “overkill.” Then he found out my Zero could stop in 1/4 the distance of every other bike there that day. I have to be careful not to get rear ended by the deficient full gassers behind me. Then I have to wait forever for the deficient full gassers in front of me to pregnant pause, lag up to the middle of the power band in their third gear before I can do a proper e-drive launch off the line behind them and instantly get back up to them.
Folks have no idea how terrible full gassers perform until they are in a vehicle with proper performance e-drive around full gassers in traffic. Volt drivers know whereof I speak. Once you feel that liquid smooth, instant, strong quiet acceleration it feels, well, pathetic and sad if you go back to something without it.
Aug 5th, 2011 (10:28 pm)Mark Z,
2 cylinder will be a boxer from BMW bike – very good engine.