BMW i8 Test Drive in Scotland

How can you have a performance car without being seen as the bad guy by the environmentalists? BMW have come up with the answer in their multi-personality i8 which they say will start a revolution in thinking about supersportscars. 

It’s the second in the ‘i’ brand following on from the smaller i3 electric city car which has already sold 750 in the UK and has expressions of interest from 10,000 more.

The i8 takes the concept a stage further by throwing sensational performance into the environmental/electric mix. With four distinct settings it can be an amazingly efficient machine with around 135mpg from its British-built three-cylinder petrol engine in the rear or around 23 miles at speeds of up to 75mph in ‘e-drive’ from its emission-free small electric unit under the bonnet. But hit the ‘sport’ button and you get the full power of the petrol engine and a second electric motor alongside for added boost.

At that point the car’s dials turn red and it becomes an amazingly well-balanced performance car which will take you from a standing start to 62mph in less than five seconds and up to an electronically limited, 155mph. It is superbly refined and oozes craftsmanship from the low, lightweight leather sports seats to the floating dashboard. The structure of the car is aluminium while the body is carbon fibre.

It’s long, low and wide and while it looks good on the move, when you stop, the twin dihedral doors open forwards and upwards for a real touch of drama.  The styling is sensational with sculpted rear wheel arches above the 20inch aerodynamic alloys while the rear air ducts help keep this machine on the road. The lithium-ion battery is recharged up to 80% capacity in only two hours through BMW’s own 16A Wallbox which you can have installed at home. A standard domestic 13A socket can charge in three hours.

BMW say the car is aimed at wealthy motorists who probably already have something like a Porsche 911 or Audi R8 in their multicar garage. They won’t just have the money to spare – they want the latest technology and care about the environment too. BMW expect to sell 750 in a full year.

 VITAL STATS:

 CAR: BMW i8

 PRICE: £99,845 (before £5,000 Government Plug-In grant)

 ENGINES: petrol – 3 cyl TwinPower Turbo; 1499cc; 231hp; 320Nm

                 electric – 96 Kw 360V DC; 131hp; 250Nm; 23 miles range.

 PERFORMANCE: Top speed 155 mph (limited).  0-62 mph 4.4 secs

 ECONOMY: 135 mpg combined

 CO2 EMISSIONS: 49 g/km