A walk through one of BMW’s many factories leaves no doubt in my mind that their true goal is really to make the “Ultimate Driving Machine.” In their quest to fulfill their mission, BMW is constantly testing new ways to better themselves and their vehicles. Nothing shows this better than their brand new BMW i8. This vehicle looks like something straight out of a concept car drawing and is now being sold worldwide. BMW has given the lucky ones that can afford it the opportunity to drive a piece of the future. From its’ revolutionary carbon fiber safety cell, to its’ advanced electric/petrol hybrid system, this car is the beginning of a new step for automobiles.
Finally, Down To The Good Stuff
Now that you know a little about the i8 and why it’s such a landmark in the BMW’s history, we can get into the good stuff, the carbon fiber. Unlike almost every car on the road today, the BMW i8 chassis is primarily made of carbon fiber or rather a carbon hybrid called carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). CFRP is a very strong and lightweight composite material that utilizes both carbon fiber and plastic characteristics to create something far more rigid.
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic being produced in Germany by BMW. RW Carbon offers many items made from FRP – A compound that is similar to the CFRP being used by BMW.
(View of the CFRP Bodyshop in Leipzig Germany)
Due to the advancement of carbon fiber manufacturing, BMW’s is able to create the entire cell in 20 hours, a fraction of how long it used to take. Allowing the price of this new “concept car” to be far lower than it could have been years before ($130,000 to $140,000).
In order to construct each body piece, carbon fiber laminates are laid on top of one another, arranged in a specific way as the fibers are all pointing in different directions before cutting them into shape. This ensures each panel will stay rigid with any directional force. Once cut into shape, each one is placed into a ‘preform’ mold which gives the panels their 3 dimensional shape. At the end of the process they are all joined together to create the first mass produced carbon fiber safety cell.
(Layered Carbon Fiber Sheets)
(Completed CFRP Body Cells)
If you have any further questions about the all new BMW i8 please email RW Carbon at info@rwcarbon.com.