Richard Kim, the lead exterior designer on both the i3 and i8 had the best job in the world; to re-imagine the automobile. In the i3 and i8 he ‘s done just that by celebrating the technology that has made them both possible. In this interview (courtesy of Drivestv.com) he goes into details as we see them on-screen. It ‘s perhaps one of the best presentations as to why these cars are truly different that we ‘ve seen.

The i3 is the all electric of the two (also available with have a BMW Motorrad derived hybrid option) while the i8 puts power down via tri-turbo hybrid. Both are exceptionally light (2750 lbs for the i3 and 3250 for the i8) and clearly have innovative details throughout.

And as you’d expect both are exceptionally efficient. The hybrid i8 churns out 350 hp while getting 80 mpg. And with a 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds, it’s actually faster than the current M3 Coupe (by 0.3 sec). The 100% electric i3 puts out 168 hp and does 0-62 in only 7.9 seconds.

The i3 will go on sale in 2013 priced around $35 to $40 in the US. The i8 will follow it priced at a much higher $160k.