Most of us would never have imagined that a hybrid sports car from BMW could win the Green Car of the Year Award. But the BMW i8 did just that by winning the World Car Award at the New York Auto Show at the 2015 edition of the event.
The BMW i8 triumphed over two other finalists, the Mercedes S500 plug-in hybrid and the Volkswagen Golf GTE, to win this highly prestigious award.
The BMW i8 is the first plug-in hybrid car manufactured by BMW. Though it has the fuel consumption of a subcompact car, it is a sports car at heart.
This hybrid sports car is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Its 1.5 liter three-cylinder gasoline engine, equipped with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, is combined with an electric motor. It can be driven up to 23 miles (37 km) with electric power alone. The battery can be easily charged at any conventional power outlet.
With a combined output of 362 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (100 km/h) in just 4.4 seconds. It has a top speed of 159 mph (256 km/h).
