We review the BMW i8 from price to economy and all its features
THE future starts now.
The £95,000 BMW i8 launches in the UK on Saturday and 300 will be on our roads by Christmas.
I'm a huge fan of BMW's motorsport-inspired M range and the hybrid i8 is the coolest, most exciting Beemer yet.
En route to the UK... But there's a long wait for a BMW i8
It's got supercar looks with supercar performance and supergreen credentials.
We tested the 155mph, zeroemission i8 in Inverness — then asked Sun readers what they thought.
First impressions?
Wow! This is a real show-stopper with its scissor doors. I parked near a bloke with his more expensive £120,000 Porsche 911 Turbo at Tesco — and the i8 got all the attention. Poor chap. Even his mate took photos of it.
Futuristic... The leather interior
The fluid lines and diffusers give it better aerodynamics than a 911 and it's ultra-lightweight too, with an aluminium chassis and carbon fibre roof.
And check out those wheels — the 20in turbine-style alloys look the business.
more motors
How does it drive?
Floor it at any speed and you get maximum boost — and pleasure.
This is a real driver's car. The low centre of gravity adds to the fun and the precise cornering fills you with confidence.
Plus you can drive it to suit your mood. Bully it and it growls like a V8 or waft along and you can't hear a thing.
The rear wheels are powered by a UK-built 1.5litre three cylinder petrol engine and the front wheels by an electric motor, producing 362bhp in total.
Behind the wheel... Sun Motors editor Rob Gill got in the driver's seat
It does 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds and top speed is limited to 155mph. I nudged 140mph on an airfield and the power delivery is so smooth.
CO2 emissions of just 49g/km mean no road tax or congestion charges. And you can do 23 miles at up to 75mph on pure electric mode. I got 35-40mpg driving it hard — and you'd get half that thrashing around in an Audi R8.
What's it like inside?
Not as radical as you would expect from the outside but full-on luxury, with leather everywhere and a flowing dashboard design.
It's ultra-comfortable and feels more spacious than an R8.
I like the ambient lighting but I'm not sure about the iBlue seatbelts.
What about charging?
Plug it in at home and BMW quotes an 80 per cent charge in under three hours — or get a fast-charging Wallbox fitted and you get 80 per cent in less than two hours.
Key Facts
- Price: £94,845
- Power: 231hp 1.5l 3-cylinder petrol and 131hp electric motor
- Economy: 134mpg
- Road tax: £0
- Range: 373miles
- Electric only: 23 miles
- 0-62mph: 4.4secs
- Top speed: Limited to 155mph
VERDICT: There's nearly a year's wait to get one and it's easy to see why. It's much cheaper than other supercars with a nod to the environment - and turns heads wherever you go.