BMW i8’s gullwing doors make production

Set to arrive on the market in 2013, it's confirmed that the BMW i8 will feature gullwing doors. BMW's upcoming i8 hybrid sports coupe originally appeared in concept form back at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. At the time, it featured a pair of gullwing doors and no one knew for sure whether they'd actually make production.Now we can confirm for the first time, thanks to these latest spy shots, that the i8 production car will keep that door style. We've been seeing more pictures of the car out testing, so it's clear that BMW is busy getting things finalized before its planned debut sometime next year. While some sources have called them both gullwing and scissor doors, we're just thrilled that BMW kept them in place instead of switching to a more conventional door design. Power will come courtesy of a new rear-mounted 1.5-liter gasoline engine that's mated to a dual-clutch gearbox. An electric motor will work directly with the gasoline engine and won't be considered a secondary power source. Rather, the two engines will be considered "equal partners." It's estimated the i8 will cost around $160,000 when it hits showrooms.