BMW is planning a new two-seat coupé as a follow up to the i8.
It may be part of its forthcoming Neue Klasse electric car line-up. A new prototype has been spotted testing near the firm’s development base in Bavaria. Although camouflaged, it clearly wears several key design cues from the Neue Klasse and Neue Klasse X concepts, such as a new kidney grille.
Scroll onto see more photos of the new car:
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Power
It appears to be powered by four in-wheel motors – we couldn’t see visible brake calipers.
BMW last year invested €15m into Deepdrive, an electric motor specialist based in Garching, near Munich. Deepdrive claims its drive units are more efficient than those currently on the market.
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Scale
The Deepdrive RM2400 motor puts out up to 335bhp and 2400Nm of torque in a package measuring 20 inches in diameter and weighing 37kg.
Deepdrive co-CEO Felix Poernbacher recently told trade publication Automotive News that his firm is on track to begin small-scale production of its dual-rotor motors in 2026, with “large-scale” output following in 2028.
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Limited?
Poernbacher said that Deepdrive expects in-wheel motors to account for 5-10% of the total motor market by 2030.
This suggests the new BMW coupé will be a strictly limited prospect. It's possible that it could arrive as the flagship in the wave of incoming Neue Klasse models. The first two – a new iX3 and an electric 3 Series – will be launched next year.
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Flagship
BMW has yet to confirm any such plans, but there seems to be wish within the company to produce a high-speed flagship electric sports car. It previously designed a mid-engined supercar called the i16 but stopped work on the car when the pandemic arrived in 2020.
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