Gallery: The BMW i8 Spyder Concept Live at NYC i Born Electric Tour

Possibly the the first true production hybrid supercar.

November 14, 2012

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With the BMW i Born Electric Tour finally in New York City, we got our first in-person look at the 2012 Concept Vehicle of the Year Award, the BMW i8 Spyder. The Spyder version of the concept has pretty much the same guts as the four-seater hard-top, featuring both an electric motor and a combustion engine working in tandem. The estimated pure electric mode will give you 20 miles, but used as a hybrid, the car is rated at 87 miles per gallon. With a TwinPower turbo engine, the hybrid remains true to sports car form, getting to 60 in less than 5 seconds.

Some things to note:

The body is made entirely of carbon fiber, keeping the weight extremely low.

Due to the fact that the front electric motor doesn't need to be cooled, the front kidney beans are closed, forcing air around the car instead of into the car

The rims are shaped like fans to keep air flowing to the back for the car.

Those little vents right before the rear tires force air into the rear combustion engine to help keep it cool.

The electronics are linked to "smart" navigation that reads traffic conditions and speed limits and adapts the way the engines are working to maximize efficiency.