BMW i3 caught testing in New York

BMW has been hyping its futuristic i lineup for years now, but the long lead time doesn't mean that the highly efficient, carbon-fiber-based vehicles are vaporware. Earlier this month, we test drove pre-production versions of the i3 and i8, and last week, Autoweek reader Frank Cogliano spied the former vehicle on the road.

Cogliano caught this wrapped i3 near Stony Point, New York -- about 30 minutes from BMW's New Jersey headquarters. The city car won't go on sale in North America until 2014, but presence of camouflaged testers on our roads suggests that the program is moving right along.

The i3 has an electric powertrain, but a motorcycle-engine-based range extender will be available. Expect the car to sell for around $45,000 when it hits dealer lots.

By Graham Kozak