MUNICH, July 26 — To celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2016, BMW could launch a new and improved edition of its i8 hybrid coupe, according to the German website Auto Motor und Sport. Dubbed the BMW i9, the new supercar will reportedly have a new hybrid plug-in powertrain and will be capable of outperforming the i8.

According to the website's insider source, the manufacturer has greenlighted the development of the i9, a coupe equipped with a combustion engine and an electric motor with combined power of more than the current BMW i8's 362hp (231hp from the fuel engine and 131hp from the electric side). The website indicates that the future vehicle is expected to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in less than 4 seconds.

The vehicle in question will be made with lightweight materials (aluminum, carbon fibre) for optimised power-to-weight ratio and performance.

While the development of a BMW i9 is indeed possible, there can never be a BMW i10, as the name is already used by Hyundai. — AFP-Relaxnews