Item: BMW i8
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

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Introduction

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

BMW offers the i8 as this coupé and as a convertible, but there’s only one trim level available. This may seem expensive compared with ‘standard’ versions of the Porsche 911, but things aren’t as bleak as they first appear – BMW gives you far greater standard equipment than Porsche.

As well as conventional kit such as climate control, the i8 has adaptive LED lights, cruise control, heated electric front seats, a DAB radio, sat-nav and plenty more. Speccing a 911 to a similar level soon causes its price to skyrocket, evening things out somewhat.

Euro NCAP hasn’t crash tested the i8, but standard safety kit is good, including six airbags, collision warning and an automatic emergency braking system.

The i8 emits just 42g/km of CO2, so monthly company car costs will be considerably lower than those of a diesel 3 Series. Don’t expect to get near the claimed average of 134.5mpg on a regular basis, but the i8 should still return remarkable fuel economy in real-world conditions considering the performance it offers in return. In particular, if you have easy access to a charging point, your running costs will be far lower than that of an equivalent 911 or Audi R8.

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Press the start button and you’ll be greeted by silence. Drive is initially provided by a 129bhp electric motor that draws power from a battery pack mounted centrally in the car. It powers the front wheels and, when fully charged, BMW says it will allow you to cover up to 34 miles with silent ease. In real-world conditions, though, you’ll struggle to cover that distance using the battery alone, especially if you find yourself at 60mph or above.

When the batteries are depleted, you step on the accelerator or switch from Comfort to Sport mode, a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine barks into life. This rear-mounted unit drives the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox and produces a substantial 228bhp and 236lb ft of torque. It sounds surprisingly good, adding some real theatre to the proceedings (albeit flatteringly enhanced through the car’s speakers), and provides seriously impressive acceleration. With both the electric motor and petrol engine working together, providing four-wheel drive and lots of traction, the i8 will sprint from 0-62mph in just 4.4sec, making overtakes effortless. The two power sources blend together smoothly, too; there are never any awkward transitions or odd pauses. It’s worth remembering that similarly priced versions of the Audi R8 and Porsche 911 are even quicker, especially at motorway speeds and above.

The i8 isn’t all about straight-line performance, however. It’s light for a car of its class and has decent front-end grip, so when you turn in you’ll find it changes direction quickly and in a controlled fashion; the i8 is not a car that enjoys playing the hooligan. The steering is precise and very light, making the i8 easy to manoeuvre, but it lacks the feedback and weight of the steering in a Porsche, which is still the more satisfying – and capable – car to drive hard.

The ride in the i8 is a little firm at low speeds, even with the standard adaptive dampers in Comfort mode, but it’s still impressively comfortable considering it’s a sports car, while the high-speed ride on the motorway is nicely planted and stable. Sport mode does make the ride stiffer, but not to the point that it’ll pogo you off the road. This is a car that will happily munch through the miles without breaking into a sweat. There is, however, quite a bit of road noise at higher speeds, but at low speeds when running on electric power only it is eerily but pleasantly quiet.

With its butterfly doors and bold, sculpted body, there’s no doubt that the BMW i8 turns heads on the high street. There’s more to it than merely eye-catching looks, though – the i8 may just be the most ambitious car that BMW has ever produced.

Although it falls into the same sports car bracket as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/911/coupe/review/n98">Porsche 911</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/r8/coupe/review/n124">Audi R8</a>, the i8 does things rather differently by using <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-hybrid-cars-2018-and-the-ones-to-avoid/n17013">plug-in hybrid</a> technology. Its three-cylinder petrol engine – related to that used in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/hatchback/hatchback/review/n17350">Mini hatchback</a> – is far smaller than those of its rivals, but it combines with electric power to provide impressive performance. This is a car that’s designed to be as exciting to drive as it is kind to the environment.

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You can choose the i8 as a coupé, or as the open-top <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/i8/sports/review/n197">i8 Roadster</a>, which we’ve reviewed separately. Although both versions share their two-seat, mid-engined layout with the R8, other similarities are few and far between. A large portion of the i8 is made from strong, light carbonfibre – a material that’s also very stiff, which is good news for both handling and crash safety. And, while the i8 isn’t alone in being a hybrid sports car, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/honda/nsx/coupe/review/n17248">Honda NSX</a> goes without plug-in technology, while the Porsche 918 Spider and McLaren P1 supercars cost several times as much.

In fact, plug-in power is key to the i8’s appeal. Its electric motors complement the petrol engine to provide considerable punch, and its battery pack allows you to cruise silently on <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/electric">all-electric power</a> for up to 34 miles. It also helps the i8 towards remarkable <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/new-official-fuel-consumption-and-co2-tests-explained/n1213">official fuel economy figures</a>, and far smaller <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/check-your-company-car-tax-rate/n1255">company car tax</a> bills than most other sports cars will bring.

Read on over the next few pages for our detailed impressions of the i8 and, if this high-tech sports car captures your imagination enough to take the plunge, visit our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/configure/bmw/i8/coupe/">New Car Buying</a> site to see how much you could save.

Clamber into the i8 (something that's impossible to do gracefully) and you’ll be greeted by a well-designed interior that echoes the futuristic looks of the exterior. The swooping, chrome-detailed dashboard orients all the dials and controls towards the driver, while an 8.8in touch-sensitive display sits on top of the dashboard. This is joined by a digital dash to replace conventional dials as well as a head-up display. These are all standard, as is a leather-lined interior that hides the majority of plastic surfaces.

However, while it may have the air of something from the future, it is actually all pretty regular iDrive kit that you’d find in a 3 Series. Is that disappointing? Well, on the one hand, yes; it’s a shame that BMW doesn’t have a groundbreaking, futuristic infotainment system to match its groundbreaking, futuristic engineering. But, on the other hand, iDrive has long been our favourite infotainment system, so although we’re well used to it and you can find it on much cheaper cars, that doesn’t stop it from being great to use.

As with all iDrive systems, functions are controlled via an intuitive, centrally mounted rotary controller. The panel directly in front of you is like a conventional instrument panel, while the other in the centre of the dash presents the infotainment and media readouts.

The i8’s interior is well finished overall and certainly looks the part, but there are elements that let it down. You’ll find a few average-quality plastics in places and some of the switchgear is a little flimsy. That’s acceptable in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/saloon/review/n91">3 Series</a>, perhaps, but not in a flagship hybrid sports car, and the i8 generally doesn’t feel as robust and high-quality inside as an Audi R8.

It’s easy to find a comfortable driving position, thanks to electric front seats and a steering column that adjusts for height and reach, while the rest of the controls are easy to understand and access. A head-up display is standard, so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road. Visibility is good for a low-slung sports car and there’s standard parking sensors front and rear, plus a surround-view camera system for low-speed manoeuvring.

Coupe

Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

Groundbreaking hybrid sports car that's thrilling to drive and look at

It’s not easy to get into the i8, because you have to duck under the butterfly doors, clamber over the tall sill and slide yourself into the low-slung sports seats – something that requires a degree of athleticism. Once seated, however, you’ll find that there’s plenty of room for those in the front and the seats are comfortable.

By contrast, the two rear seats are really only for occasional use or for children, because they’re cramped and hard to access. Leg and head room are severely limited, although you do get Isofix fittings for both rear seats.

Similarly, the boot isn’t that big, with just enough space for one bag, although we suspect most people will use the back seats as an additional luggage area. And you can use the rear seats for additional storage instead. There isn’t much storage elsewhere in the car, with a slender glovebox, no door pockets and only a few trays to sling your odds and sods into. That’s a shame, considering you can happily cover long distances in the i8.

Groundbreaking hybrid sports car that's thrilling to drive and look at

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Strong performance</li> <li>Good balance between ride and handling</li> <li>Excellent build quality</li> <li>Decent practicality</li> <li>Sophisticated interior</li></ul>

Coupés are all about style, but while practicality undoubtedly takes a back seat to aesthetics, these cars still need to be easy to live with on a daily basis. It’s this that distinguishes a coupé from an out-and-out sports car.

Fortunately, there’s a wide range of style-focused models available, and you don’t even need to spend silly money to buy or run one.

For a blend of&nbsp;rock-solid resale values, punchy engines and an interior to die for,&nbsp;the Audi TT is a brilliant option. But the Mercedes CLA offers plenty of style and substance to match, while the Aston Martin DB11 will give you serious performance.

BMW i8 review

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Buying advice for the BMW i8 covering running costs, MPG, Fuel Economy, Reliability and Safety, from the expert What Car? review team.

BMW offers the i8 as this coupé and as a convertible, but there’s only one trim level available. This may seem expensive compared with ‘standard’ versions of the Porsche 911, but things aren’t as bleak as they first appear – BMW gives you far greater standard equipment than Porsche.,As well as conventional kit such as climate control, the i8 has adaptive LED lights, cruise control, heated electric front seats, a DAB radio, sat-nav and plenty more. Speccing a 911 to a similar level soon causes its price to skyrocket, evening things out somewhat.,Euro NCAP hasn’t crash tested the i8, but standard safety kit is good, including six airbags, collision warning and an automatic emergency braking system.The i8 emits just 42g/km of CO2, so monthly company car costs will be considerably lower than those of a diesel 3 Series. Don’t expect to get near the claimed average of 134.5mpg on a regular basis, but the i8 should still return remarkable fuel economy in real-world conditions considering the performance it offers in return. In particular, if you have easy access to a charging point, your running costs will be far lower than that of an equivalent 911 or Audi R8.,For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here,

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