BMW i16 supercar revealed: BMW design chief shows dramatic, production-ready i8 replacement crushed by a changing world

BMW’s Head of Design, Domagoj Dukec, has released composite images of the i16 hybrid supercar, an intended replacement for the ground-breaking i8, that we now know missed the production green light courtesy of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

According to Dukec, the i16 was inspired by the iconic M1 of the late 1970s and evolved from the Vision M Next show car, presented in 2019 at the brand’s NextGen event in Munich.

Speaking to his followers on Instagram, Dukec said, "The i16 had all the style of a future classic, but there were still novel touches that moved the design forward from the M1.

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"Within less than 12 months the car was ready - inside and out. The key was to use the composite structure of the BMW i8. If you look closely, you will find a few cues!

"But history was not to be made. While we pushed, the world changed in 2020. And so, work on the project unfortunately had to be stopped," he said.

The key was to use the composite structure of the BMW i8.

The i16’s relationship to the Vision M Next is clear, with the earlier concept offering the choice "between four electrically driven wheels or a purist rear-wheel drive pure electric or turbo four-cylinder petrol engine".

The Vision M Next boasted a system output of 441kW, claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in 3.0sec and a maximum velocity of 300km/h.

The Vision M Next boasted a system output of 441kW.

Despite Dukec’s obvious disappointment about the project’s cancellation, he remains philosophical, saying, "We'll never stop dreaming and exploring new possibilities, and there's always a new project waiting around the corner..."