BMW i8 to be auctioned during Pebble Beach Concours weekend

(July 28, 2014) WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — In celebration of the U.S. arrival of the BMW i8, the world’s most innovative sports car, a one-of-a-kind 2014 BMW i8 Concours d’Elegance Edition will be auctioned during the weekend of the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, ahead of the official fall sale date.

The i8 Concours d’Elegance Edition will be distinguished by a unique paint scheme and interior treatment as well as other features that will make it unlike any other BMW i8 in the world. The BMW i8 Concours d’Elegance Edition will be sold by Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, during the annual Pebble Beach Auctions at Pebble Beach on Saturday, Aug.16.

Proceeds of the sale will go to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The 2014 BMW i8 Concours d’Elegance Edition will feature BMW Individual Frozen Grey Metallic exterior paint. The interior will boast Dalbergia Brown leather upholstery, which is tanned using dye derived from plant extracts. The upholstery is accented with stitching in BMW i Blue. The Pure Impulse Tera World interior includes other trim accents in BMW i Blue, including the seat belts, as well as having “BMW i8” embossed into the front headrests. A number of US firsts will be included with this special edition including laser headlights, pending government approval, a BMW i8 Display key as well as the first BMW Charging Station, professional edition.

The BMW i8 is arguably the most innovative sports car on the road today. The plug-in hybrid all-wheel drive powertrain combines an electric motor to drive the front wheels and a powerful and efficient 1.5-liter BMW TwinPower Turbo three-cylinder gasoline engine driving the rear wheels.

The BMW i8 is capable of driving on pure electric power at speeds up to 75 mph for approximately 20 miles, producing zero tailpipe emissions. When the gasoline engine joins forces with the electric motor, together they are capacity of propelling the i8 for 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and to a top speed of 155 miles per hour. Thanks in part to its passenger cell constructed out of lightweight carbon fiber reinforced plastic, The BMW i8 will deliver fuel efficiency normally associated with the stingiest subcompact. The lithium-ion battery pack that powers the electric motor can be charged from any 240-volt level 2 charging station as well as a conventional 110-volt outlet.