First Major Outing For BMW Megacity Vehicle At 2012 London Olympic Games

By Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Viknesh Vijayenthiran

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Vik is an Editor at High Gear Media and contributor for a number of sites within the High Gear Media network. He was a co-founder of Motor Authority... More

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BMW Megacity Vehicle official teaser

The BMW Megacity Vehicle, or MCV for short, is set to revolutionize the way mainstream cars are engineered and built, with most of its internal structure and body being composed of lightweight composite materials such as reinforced carbon-fiber plastic. Sadly, we won’t get to buy one until at least 2013 and even then the U.S. may not see the car until a later date.

However, we will at least get to see the new BMW Megacity a bit earlier than that date as inside sources have revealed that the car will be on show in near-production form at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. BMW is an official partner of the Games and will use the event's global stage to educate audiences worldwide on the benefits of its new design--expect to see a fleet of Megacity cars carrying officials to and from and events.

The Megacity will be a zero-emission urban car for the world’s metropolitan regions, with dimensions being slightly larger than the MINI Cooper but smaller than the 1-Series. Despite its small proportions, the vehicle will be a four-seater. It will be powered by a newly developed drivetrain consisting of a 134 horsepower electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries and driving the rear axle. A range-extended version complete with a compact internal combustion engine acting as a generator may also be launched.

The car won’t be cheap, however. BMW is launching the Megacity under a new ‘sub-division’ just like its high-performance M cars. Pictured above are official photos of the car’s carbon-fiber structure being developed and tested and included is an official teaser sketch depicting its production form.

[What Car?]