[cephalotus]

This is the i3 "megacity" electric vehicle:



and this is the i8 plug-in-hybrid sports car:



both cars are made from lots of aluminium and carbon fibre, the final assembly will be in Leipzig and they will be available from 2013. No information on the price, the design is not final yet (but the final product should look quite similiar).
You most likely don't buy an BMW to save money.

Those are high performance cars with 164+96 kW/220+130 hp (i8) and 125 kW/170 hp (i3) in a relatively lightweight configuration.
Rumors say that BMW will also offer an i3 with range extender.

source and more pictures / information at:
http://www.bmw-i.com/en_ww/

The big question is: Will we need low powered high efficient and cheap cars in the next years or is there still the bigger market in high performance cars and engineers should find solutions, to make those cars more fun AND more efficient?

[AgentR11]

Now, THOSE are what an EV should look like if you're gonna pay significant money for a car.

Of note, an EV has a distinct advantage in a category that sports car drivers really appreciate and notice when they test drive something... that 0-30 off the block acceleration. Bet they have that sporty one tuned to squish you like a pancake to the seat with the g-force on start up.

I can just see the sales guy in the passengers seat, as they come to a stop into those deserted back streets they try to point you to..."go ahead, stomp on the accelerator....." ka-ching.

[The Practician]

The big question is: Will we need low powered high efficient and cheap cars in the next years or is there still the bigger market in high performance cars and engineers should find solutions, to make those cars more fun AND more efficient?

It's a good question, but I don't think BMW's product lineup is the place to look for cheap, low powerd, efficient cars, no matter what the economic/ energy situation is on the ground. BMW's are designed for rich people. Some more environmentally conscious rich people *cough* greenwashing yuppies *cough* are probably going to be willing to pay a premium for those vehicles.

I Would like to say there is a market or is going to be a bigger market for cheap, low powered efficient cars in the near future, but the steady gutting of the middle classes in north america and the widening gap between the haves and the have nots means the market for Automobiles is going to trend to smaller volumes and more upmarket (i.e those BMW's). I think we can see this trend already in what is available for consumers.