The BMW i8 is the flagship of the German car maker BMW and was recently crowned UK Car of the Year for 2015. To provide the spark for the innovative three-cylinder engine featured in the plug-in-hybrid BMW has chosen NGK Spark Plugs. 

Marko Wowczyna, Automotive Director, NGK Spark Plugs commented, “We are proud to supply the award-winning BMW i8 with our spark plugs. BMW’s selection of our products as original equipment is a further demonstration of how as a company we work hand-in-hand with the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers on their innovative new models.”

BMW’s i8 features its first three-cylinder direct injection engine combined with an electric motor to deliver a total output of 266kW (357bhp). It can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.4 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. The TwinPower turbo three-cylinder engine works with variable valve control, turbo charging and high-precision direct injection close to the spark plug. The plugs therefore need to fulfil demanding requirements, having to guarantee high mixture accessibility and reliable ignition in the face of high charging pressures and strong air-fuel-mixture movements.

NGK, the world’s leading manufacturer of spark plugs, exclusively supplies BMW with the plugs for the car. For the 1.5 litre direct injection engine, NGK developed the SILZKGR8C8S, a M12 bi-hex double precious metal spark plug with an iridium tip on the centre electrode and a platinum chip on the ground electrode. These precious metal electrodes are virtually resilient against spark erosion and hot gas corrosion. A special electrode design improves mixture accessibility and combustion. The spark plug comes with a lengthened insulator and a cup-shaped terminal, a design that effectively prevents flashovers and electrical breakthroughs even at extreme ignition voltages.