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BMW has shelved its plans to replace its i8 sports car with a production version of the Vision M NEXT concept, reportedly moving away from the flashy hybrid as the auto industry as a whole is facing the pandemic crisis. Although BMW never explicitly confirmed that it had production intent for the Vision M NEXT, the car was widely interpreted as an evolution of the failed and misunderstood i8.
Revealed in June 2019, the Vision M NEXT joined the German automaker’s series of near-future concepts. However, unlike most of his siblings, he did not promise full delivery of driving duties to the car. Instead, it was BMW’s interpretation of how increasingly stringent driver assistance, electrification, and green requirements could shape the enthusiastic cars of tomorrow.
The result was a hybrid, but not the typical type. The Vision M NEXT could use either an electric or gas transmission, or combine both for all-wheel drive, in the same way that the i8 does today. However, where many have criticized that car for being underpowered, BMW anticipated that this concept would have more than 600 horsepower.
0-62 mph could come in 3.0 seconds, BMW joked, while the Vision M NEXT could shoot at 186 mph. Press the BOOST + button, and for a limited period of overdrive, you’ll unlock even more horsepower. The total electric range would be around 62 miles, and the support technician would take on a more advisory role than acting as a replacement, suggesting when to enter BOOST + or switch between various driving modes.
The similarity of the transmission to the hybrid architecture of the i8, not to mention the shared aesthetics of the cars, left the roadmap looking clear. It was also an opportunity for BMW to showcase its latest and greatest technology beyond powertrain. Headlights and taillights of laser cable, facial recognition and sustainable microfiber, all included; The automaker’s engineers even developed a special gyro cup holder, which BMW claimed would better protect your Big Gulp when taking a large corner.
Sadly, we might not see that magic cup holder, at least not in a Vision M NEXT production. According to Manager Magazin and BMWBlog, Autoblog reports, BMW had quietly left the project some time ago. Experts suggest that it just didn’t make sense in a post-pandemic world.
If it is true, and BMW does not say it in any way, it is a disappointing but understandable decision. The i8 was revolutionary even years after its original launch, but sales were never outstanding. It was also too expensive to build and buy, with BMW’s carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell complex and difficult to scale. As a result, priced in the region of $ 150k for the coupe, the i8 struggled to compete power-for-power with similarly priced rivals.
Even with more power (and probably a higher price as a result), the Vision M NEXT seemed increasingly unfeasible for the sports car market. That even assumes that much of that market remains, as the world faces the crisis of a coronavirus recession. Instead, we’re likely to see hints at the concept car’s design that makes it more conventional BMW EVs.
