Wired Magazine: BMW i8 Review

That spontaneous blurt followed an incredulous expression as the waist-high 2+2 pulled up to a Rite-Aid in suburban Los Angeles. It seems the shock of the i8’s jaw-dropping looks were heightened by the visual theater of the vertical doors–all this, and the guy didn’t have a clue about the technological circus beneath the i8’s silvery skin.

For those familiar with the BMW i8’s seemingly endless prequel of concept cars and Sisyphean journey to fruition, my first drive of the plug-in hybrid supercar feels like a momentous event for the Bavarian brand. Long allied to legions of petrol-loving enthusiasts with a cultish obsession with steering feel and throttle response, BMW eventually arrived at the realization that its future wouldn’t be complete without an entire sub-brand built on the premise of sustainability.

Several billion dollars later, the i3 debuted, but not without the predictable wails and gnashing of teeth from a peanut gallery that complained the zippy city car didn’t handle like the famously intuitive 3-series.

No bother. Aiming to prove that an alt-fuel sled can have it all—head-turning curb appeal, potent performance, and earth-friendly MPG numbers—BMW crammed an ungodly amount of engineering into this flagship, to gloriously ambitious effect. Carbon fiber figures prominently in this car cocktail, with a CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) passenger cell mated to what BMW calls an aluminum “drive module.” The i8 manufacturing process is carbon neutral, can be scaled well beyond boutique numbers, uses 100 percent renewable electricity, and is allegedly 50 percent more time-efficient than the process required by conventional vehicles.

But it’s the electromechanical goods that make the i8 a disruptive force in the automotive universe. While a vast expanse lies between million dollar hybrid hypercars and commuter appliances, the i8 bridges those extremes with a teeny turbocharged 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder engine borrowed from Mini and a synchronous electric motor. The engine pushes 228 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic gearbox to the rear axle, while the motor squeezes 129 ponies and up to 369 lb-ft through a 2-speed transmission up front. Each powerplant is dedicated to either axle, but vary their contribution depending on drive mode and the 5.2 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery’s state of charge; anticipate a full refill from a standard 120 volt, 12 amp household circuit in about 3.5 hours. With total system output tallying a sporty but not decadent 357 hp and 420 lb-ft, the i8’s athletic capabilities stem more from its 3,275 lb curb weight (similar to a Porsche 911’s), than its propulsive sources.