BMW has taken the wraps off an experimental hybrid vehicle called the Vision M Next Concept during a special conference in Munich, Germany. The company’s latest creation is essentially a design study, which means it will likely never reach production itself, but will rather serve as a source of inspiration for the brand’s future releases. That, and the company promises to implement certain features in the upcoming i8.
In terms of general outlines, the BMW Vision M Next looks much like the current-gen i8. The front and rear are painted Thrilling Orange, while the rest of the body sports a mixture of grey and black. Other notable exterior features include a radiator grille with a laser engraving on it, butterfly-wing doors, and acute-angled OLED headlights. A number of styling decisions seem inspired by the classical BMW M1, which the company used to produce in 1978 through 1981.
Powering the prototype is a hybrid powertrain that comprises a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine and two electric motors (one per axle). The company had earlier announced it planned to implement the same four-cylinder engine in its entire M range eventually. The total output amounts to 600 hp (447 kW), enabling the supercar to dart from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.0 seconds and accelerate until at least 300 km/h (186 mph). The battery is said to be large enough for 100 kilometers (62 miles) of all-electric operation.
Photos: BMW