Pursuits
BMW Sells i8 as Germans See Tesla as Choice of One: Cars
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Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is rolling out the plug-in i8, its first sports car in more than three decades, in a bid to keep its cutting-edge image as Tesla Motors Inc. shakes up the luxury auto market.
The world’s largest maker of upscale vehicles starts deliveries today of the $135,700 hybrid hot rod to show it can do more than make conventionally powered sedans and sport-utility vehicles. BMW’s most expensive model combines an electric motor and a lightweight carbon-fiber frame to get better gas mileage than the Toyota Prius and accelerate faster than a Porsche 911, demonstrating the breadth of its technology with Tesla set to outsell BMW in emission-free cars.