The Master Blaster might have hung up his boots on the field, but out on Mumbai’s roads, he makes his presence felt with his BMW i8 sports car, which is in the news again. Sachin Tendulkar, who’s also BMW India’s brand ambassador apart from the God of cricket, just got his BMW i8 custom painted to a shade of red. It’s confirmed to be a full blown paint-job, and not temporary wrap job, making it the country’s first custom painted i8. The new paint-job is also complimented with new, gunmetal finished HRE wheels and fatter tires. Initially, Sachin’s i8 came with a factory shade of white.
Also read – BMW i8 receives new colour options under the Individual Exterior Paint program
The BMW i8 was launched in India last year (February 2015) with prices starting at INR 2.29 Crore (ex-showroom Mumbai). The hybrid sports car is powered by a 231-bhp strong, 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine driving the rear axle combined with 131 hp, lithium-ion battery powered electric motor located on the front axle. Together, the two units deliver a total of 362 hp, accelerating the BMW i8from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and on to a top-speed of 250 km/h using all four wheels in the process.
Also read – BMW i8 Review : Muffled Munition
The custom paint-job was done right here in Mumbai
Running on battery power alone, the i8 achieves the top speed of 120 km/h with a maximum range of 35 kilometers. The combined range depends on the driving style, and according to BMW, it can be stretched to 600 km with a light foot. What’s more, with an average of 47.45 km/l, the BMW i8 is the most fuel efficient car on sale in India right now.
Image credits: Rapid Spotters Mumbai; Supercars Sightings in Mumbai