The Story
BMW i8 was a very different sort of 911 rival, not least because it used a hybrid system with a Mini engine mounted in the middle and a carbon tub.
A novelty to look at and driveLacks serious performance and capability of rivalsWhile the i8, BMW’s vision of the future of the sports car, didn’t resonate with buyers at the time of its release in 2014 (or throughout its six-year term of service) it’s become the very definition of a car that was ahead of its time. There are more sports and supercars on the market now that do incorporate some form of hybridisation than don’t. Even apart from its prescience, the i8 is an interesting machine, featuring an advanced carbon construction, dramatic styling and a genuinely appealing if atypical driving experience.
We’ve always been fond of the i8 at evo, even seeing fit to include an example in evo Car of the year 2014, where it finished sixth – ahead of BMW’s own F80-generation M3 in ninth. While we’d ultimately choose a Porsche 911 for a twisty road or racetrack, the i8’s ability to provide a different, more cerebral king of thrill, while delivering fine fuel economy and excellent long-distance comfort made it a genuine pleasure.
There were signs BMW was thinking about a new sports car as early as 2009. As is often the case, the German brand previewed its early ideas with a concept, 2009’s Vision EfficientDynamics. The concept was more M1 than 1M in its form factor. By the time of the i8 production car’s launch in 2013, the full glass doors had gone, though the McLaren-style butterfly opening mechanism and, in fact, most of that supercar style was retained.
Under the skin though, the i8 is very different sort of exotic. The drivetrain paired a mid-mounted, Mini-derived 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo (making 228bhp) with a front-mounted electric motor (129bhp). Performance was close to Porsche’s 911 Carrera of the time, with a 0-62mph sprint of 4.4 sec, aided by all-wheel drive traction thanks to a front electric motor. While a 155mph top speed won’t set any records the i8 still offered that important grand-tourer quality of having something in reserve even if big numbers are already showing on the speedometer.
Driving it remains a unique experience. You can creep around in EV mode for a decent distance (a good 30-ish miles in later models, thanks to a 11.6kWh battery pack rather than the original 7.1kWh) and at respectable speeds, though the sensation of the front wheels pulling you around is an interesting one in a supercar-style BMW. The electric assistance does make for plentiful punch when you ask for it though, and the three-cylinder engine makes an interesting noise, augmented through the cabin speakers.
The complicated drivetrain demanded an equally ingenious transmission. Essentially, power from the petrol engine is transferred to the rear-wheels using a six-speed auto and the front handles the electric motor using a two-stage automatic box. The driver controls the six-speed either by leaving it in auto mode or via the shift paddles on the steering wheel.
What’s most impressive with the performance of the i8 is how the two systems work together to create a very clever four-wheel drive setup. They both fill in for each other, with the electric motor providing power at the lower end of the rev range and the turbo three-cylinder unit filling in at the top.
Two of the i8’s most glaring faults also chipped away at its GT-like qualities. One, luggage space was poor, though in the fixed-roof model the rear seats were adequate for extra storage. And two, with two power sources and a bank of batteries crammed into a mid-engined car, the supermini-sized 42-litre fuel tank means reasonably regular stops at motorway speeds – around 300 miles, give or take. The i8 got a power boost that coincided with the Roadster’s introduction in 2018, for a combined 369bhp. Sadly, it wasn’t around for long before the i8’s discontinuation in 2020.
‘This hybrid really hustles out of tight corners, the front motor compensating for any hesitation that might be present in the turbocharged triple’s responses. It’s like someone has released the rope on a trebuchet as you squeeze the throttle and feel an instant, proportional urge in your intended direction.
‘Better still is the noise. The three-cylinder has a characteristic tone, and its clear, electronically enhanced sounds actually feel appropriate. The i8 is such a technological car there’s none of the incongruity you get with piped-in noise in a simplistic hot hatch or traditional sports car. The real thrill comes from surging into and out of every corner accompanied by the wooooooeeeeeee of the electric motor harvesting and delivering its power… like sitting on board an R18 e-tron or Porsche 919 as it brakes deep into each chicane on the Mulsanne and brawls out of the other side.’ – Antony Ingram, evo 258.
Like the upright i3 electric city car, the i8 used a carbonfibre (CFRP) central tub, to which subframes were attached at either end carrying the engine and motor. This kept the car relatively light despite the need to stow heavy batteries and a pair of powertrains – BMW quoted a kerbweight of just 1535kg, so well within the Porsche 911 ballpark.
In everyday driving, the i8 is refined, it rides comfortably for a car of such performance and there are no histrionics from the complex drivetrain around town. When in electric-only mode it has enough straight-line performance to dismiss most traffic away from the lights, all without making anything more than a distant hum. Nevertheless the i8 always fell a little way short of more conventional rivals for outright thrills – but it is better to drive than we imagined it would be.
Why It Matters
And two, with two power sources and a bank of batteries crammed into a mid-engined car, the supermini-sized 42-litre fuel tank means reasonably regular stops at motorway speeds – around 300 miles, give or take.
CarMotion Daily’s Take
Likewise the relatively modest brakes and skinny tyres will attack the wallet with a far lighter touch than most ‘proper’ sports and supercars. Watch this space over the coming weeks. Markets rarely reward single announcements — execution over the next two to four quarters is what closes the gap between press release and customer. How this lands depends less on the announcement itself and more on the rollout, dealer support, and after-sales story behind it. Specifics on pricing, availability, and regional rollout will tell us whether this moves from headline to delivery. Independent verification and follow-up coverage from rival outlets tend to firm up the picture within days.
📝 Source & Copyright Notice
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