BMW set to flaunt its hybrid technologies in the next avatar of its i8.

First introduced in 2014, BMW’s i8 is now scheduled for its first update. You can avail of the new version from dealers from late 2017 onwards; its hybrid powertrain will receive a host of improvements.

As per a report emanating from Autocar, the i8’s electric motor will receive a 10% boost in power while the 1.5 litre 3 cylinder gasoline engine will also receive improvements with the end result being that the combined output of the car reach 420 horsepower from its earlier rating of 362HP.

The BMW i8’s 6 speed automatic transition will also see an update. The end result of all the updates will see the car move even faster. Currently it takes just 4.4 seconds for the i8 to hit 62MPH.

BMW has yet to announce the capacity of the battery packs for its upcoming version. However, an intelligent guess would be that it would follow the same pattern as its Formula E Safety car, which saw its 7.1KWh battery swapped with a 10KWh equivalent.

Furthermore, its safety car had even experimented with the Halo inductive wireless charging system engineered by Qualcomm, BMW’s partner for this project. It wouldn’t be too absurd to expect the same in its upcoming production level car.

The i8’s wheels have also undergone improvements with them being 25% lighter thanks to increased usage of carbon fiber. Its suspension has also been much improved.

BMW’s 2018 version of the i8 is likely to be a showcase of its technological innovations for hybrid vehicles.