(November 8, 2013) BMW is gearing up for a world premiere and the U.S. debut of two exciting new vehicles on the West Coast. At the L.A. Auto Show 2013, the BMW 4 Series Convertible is being unveiled on the world stage to reveal an extraordinary combination of dynamic performance, aesthetic appeal and the thrill of the open-air driving experience.

And just a few weeks following their international launch at the IAA in Frankfurt, the BMW i3 and the BMW i8 are making their U.S. debut. With its first fully electric-powered automobile produced in series, and the most advanced sports car in the world today, the BMW Group is demonstrating its vision of the future, universality and the wide-ranging possibilities offered by the BMW i brand.

The world premiere of the BMW 4 Series Convertible marks the beginning of a new era of open-air driving pleasure. Thanks to its specific design vocabulary, the open-top four-seater stands out significantly from mid-range models of the BMW 3 Series.

Unique aesthetics and the noticeable increase in size compared to the predecessor model give the BMW 4 Series Convertible an expressive presence. The three-part, folding hardtop guarantees the highest degree of everyday suitability all year round. When closed, it offers enhanced acoustic comfort and opens in less than 20 seconds at the push of a button. At market launch, there will be a choice of a straight six-cylinder petrol engine, a four-cylinder petrol engine and a four-cylinder diesel power unit with an output ranging from 135 kW/184 hp to 225 kW/306 hp.



With the simultaneous presentation of its first purely electrically powered production vehicle and the world’s most progressive sports car of the present time, the BMW i brand is demonstrating a broad spectrum of future-oriented vehicle concepts.

Both models represent a new form of premium characteristics that are sharply defined by sustainability. The electric motors and lithium-ion high-voltage batteries were developed by the BMW Group for use in each specific model. A further distinctive feature conceived exclusively for BMW i is the LifeDrive vehicle architecture, which includes a passenger compartment made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP), thereby contributing significantly towards weight
optimization.



The BMW i3 is the first premium automobile designed right from the start to be powered solely by electricity, rendering it entirely emission-free. The five-seater car, which boasts pathbreaking BMW i design language, offers a generous amount of interior space and four seats. It is powered by a 125 kW/170 hp electric motor and achieves a range of between 130 and 160 kilometers (approximately 80 and 99 miles) in everyday traffic conditions. The optional two-cylinder combustion engine assumes the function of a range extender with which vehicle range can be increased to up to 186 miles.

The BMW i8 (pictured above) will also arrive on the market in 2014 as a sports car of a new generation. It combines the dynamics of a high-performance sports car with the fuel consumption and emission levels of a small car. The BMW i8 is a 2+2-seater featuring a visionary design and an intelligent lightweight construction, facilitating not only emission-free driving in the urban environment, but also sporty performance on country roads and motorways.

The vehicle’s plug-in hybrid system comprises a supercharged three-cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology delivering 231 horsepower and BMW eDrive technology in the form of a 96 kW/131 hp electric motor. With the power of both engines, the BMW i8 sprints from 0‒100 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds.