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The BMW I8 – A Technical Masterpiece

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Electric and hybrid cars designed for city use are now becoming more affordable. Unless you’re seriously wealthy, hybrid performance motoring remains the preserve of near-million pound cars from Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren. Fresh from launching its i3 small car, BMW hopes to change that with a dramatically styled plug-in petrol-electric coupé with an asking price just under the magic six-figure mark, though a little dalliance with the optional extras list, including the Pure Impulse design package, will send the price soaring above. BMW never claimed that a carbon composite two-door coupé powered by a high-tech three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine and electric motor would be cheap, but the i8 just manages to remain a sensible option if your other choice of car was Porsche’s 911.

The i8 is the first sports car in which you can have your cake and eat it, offering economy blended with masses of dynamic ability and excellent looks

The i8 is the first sports car in which you can have your cake and eat it, offering economy blended with masses of dynamic ability and excellent looks

The i8 is certainly rapid, and the ability to mix and match power sources on the fly, be that automatically or manually, ensures the ability to make indecent progress. Rear-wheel drive in petrol mode and front drive when in electric mode, the elastic delivery of both power units working together allows for rapid cruising and the crushing, point-to-point grip and pace 911 Turbo owners will be familiar with. And so it should be with a combined 357bhp, although the i8 defaults to electric power on start up for relaxed, hushed motoring. Ideal for cities, you can also manage the battery reserve so that it’s topped up on the move during a brisk run for your return to the urban sprawl. In that mode you get 20-odd miles of electric-only running.

The cabin is a mixture of traditional BMW fare and more distinctive, individual design

The cabin is a mixture of traditional BMW fare and more distinctive, individual design

For all the i8’s on-road supercar-baiting potential, it’s also being pitched as a functional machine. The plug-in hybrid format should see a more time-friendly charging cycle of only a few hours, not the overnight hassle of a pure electric car. The i8’s cabin is familiar high quality BMW territory, although with a funky i3-styled twist to the look. There’s a good level of standard kit, with LED headlights, gullwing doors and 20-inch alloy wheels taking care of the looks department, with satellite navigation, an 8.8-inch screen, a range of connectivity options and DAB digital radio looking after the technologically minded, with parking sensors and head-up display fitted, too.

Like the headlights, the intricately designed rear light clusters also feature the characteristic BMW i U-shaped design

Like the headlights, the intricately designed rear light clusters also feature the characteristic BMW i U-shaped design

And while there are two rear seats, it’s realistically a two-seater. Just as well considering the car’s high sills and low seating position. Cabin access and egress predictably isn’t smooth – think Lotus Exige. With the i8’s bonnet sealed shut, Audi A2-style, storage space is modest; there’s those rear ‘seats’ and the small but deep boot aft of the rear-mounted petrol engine, but rather predictably it’s a warm environment, so don’t leave the shopping in there too long.

The scissor-type doors that open forward and upward in wing-like fashion, add extra intrigue to the design

The scissor-type doors that open forward and upward in wing-like fashion, add extra intrigue to the design

It’s no surprise that, in practical terms, the i8 is a little compromised. Its concept car looks are something of a giveaway. However, it’s a talented and rewarding car to drive fast or slow. And while at this price you don’t buy an i8 to save on your fuel bill, the car’s potential is impressive. Sub 50g/km CO2 emissions and triple digit economy ratings can’t be ignored, along with the London congestion charge exempt status. The latter will no doubt appeal to high net worth city-based workers that like to show off, as will the car’s modest company car benefit in kind taxation figure. Could the i8 be the green supercar for environmentally conscious industrialists?

 

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