Over the past few years the luxury car market in India has become a level playing field with numerous European and American brands making forays into this vast untapped market. However, Audi, BMW and Mercedes still remain leviathans in this arena. In an aggressive effort to recapture its best selling status in the luxury car segment, BMW has planned on launching nine new models this year, to achieve a more concentrated and focussed penetration into the Indian psyche. Five of the said models have already been launched, and four more are to come, notably the hybrid i8 and the M3 sedan, not to mention the facelift version of the X3 SUV.
Set to hit Indian roads in grand fashion this December, BMW's i8 is expected to bring about a €revolution', being the first sports car with the emission and consumption values of a compact. BMW had managed to make headlines in 2011 when it had announced the launch of its 'i' division for its electric and hybrid segment, the first of its kind in the luxury car section. The 2014 auto expo saw Sachin Tendulkar, a self confessed automobile enthusiast, unveil the i8 plug in hybrid and the industry will, no doubt keenly watch the progress made by this fascinating new model.
The sleek, yet bold, with a low slung body, an expansive hood and a chunky back, brings to mind the 8 series of the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, make no mistake, none of these flashbacks take away from the fact that this one is still exceedingly futuristic in its looks and appeal. It retains the iconic BMW twin kidney grille with a delightful splash of colour bordering it, accentuating the sharp lines of the long headlamps. The low slung windshield, the long highlighted bonnet, all add to the low slung, sleek look of the car. But what really makes this a sports car are the spectacular scissor doors that swing upward when open; combined with strategically placed aerodynamic creases below the bumper, around the hood and some really "jazzy" alloy wheels, it can take on the Merc Gullwing at any given occasion.
The interiors too, have incorporated only subtle changes keeping the BMW standards in mind. The facelift features would be a ten inch display that interacts with the i-drive system and an array of digital gauges. The centre console is furnished with chrome plastics while the two seats inside the coupe are covered with leather. In case the designing of i8 appears plain to most Indian customers, please be informed that this car in expected to meet European standards of quality and performance rather than flamboyance.

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